A tragic collision on Pacific Coast Highway and Atlantic Avenue in the early hours of August 16 has claimed a life. Authorities were summoned to the scene around 12:15 a.m. and discovered an injured passenger trapped in one of the involved vehicles. Long Beach Fire Department personnel pronounced the individual, later identified as Maria Concepcion Martinez, a 53-year-old Long Beach resident, dead at the scene of the accident, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
The crash involved a 2017 Mazda 6, driven by a 24-year-old Los Angeles woman heading westbound on Pacific Coast Highway, and a 2007 Toyota Scion, operated by a 63-year-old male from Long Beach, traveling northbound on Atlantic Avenue. In a statement obtained by the Long Beach Police Department, investigators have determined that the Mazda broadsided the Toyota in the intersection. A critical aspect of the ongoing investigation is determining which driver had the right of way at the time of the fatal event.
Emergent care was needed for the three other occupants of the Scion who sustained injuries and were swiftly transported to a nearby hospital. The elderly driver of the Scion also required medical attention and was later admitted to the hospital. The driver of the Mazda sustained non-life-threatening injuries and received treatment at a local hospital after cooperating with law enforcement at the site, as detailed by the Long Beach Police Department.
Authorities are reaching out to the community for any witness accounts of the incident. Those with information are encouraged to contact Detective Ashley Van Holland at (562) 570-7355, or to provide anonymous tips by calling "LA Crime Stoppers" at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), using the "P3 TIPS" app, or by visiting the LA Crime Stoppers website.
