2 19-Year-Olds Killed In Fiery Long Beach Collision; Street Racing May Be To Blame
LONG BEACH (CBSLA) – Police are investigating whether street racing caused a fiery two-vehicle crash in Long Beach late Saturday night that killed two 19-year-old teens.
The crash occurred at about 10:40 p.m. on Shoreline Drive, near Ocean Boulevard, according to Long Beach police.
A 2003 Nissan carrying the two victims was speeding north on Shoreline Drive when the 19-year-old male driver attempted to make a lane change, lost control and hit the center median, a tree and a concrete barrier, police said. The Nissan then spun out and collided into a 2011 Infinity.
"We heard a lot of screeching and then a big crash," neighbor Nicole Luu told KCAL9. "We came out, it was already on fire. We heard a bunch of explosions after that. We saw sparks flying everywhere."
The Nissan's female passenger was ejected and died at the scene. The driver was rushed to a hospital, where he also died. Both victims were from Long Beach, police said. Their names were not released.
The driver of the Infiniti, a 24-year-old Long Beach resident, was unhurt. That driver remained on scene and cooperated with investigators. Police didn't clear the crash site until 5 a.m. Sunday.
Police are investigating whether the Nissan was street racing at the time, with speed being a likely factor in the crash. Anyone with information on the incident should call detectives at 562-570-7355.