A tragic collision in Long Beach on Friday night claimed the life of a 21-year-old Compton woman after a chaotic crash involving two vehicles and a Metro train. KTLA reports the accident occurred near the intersection of 12th Street and Long Beach Boulevard.
According to Long Beach Police, the fatal incident unfolded close to midnight when the woman, driving a 2014 Infiniti Q50S without her headlights on, sped southbound on Long Beach Boulevard. A 2019 Honda Civic, operated by a 29-year-old Long Beach resident, concurrently attempted a southbound turn from Anaheim Street onto Long Beach Boulevard. In their effort to avoid a rear-end collision with the oncoming Infiniti, the Honda driver swerved and struck a guardrail, as per CBS News Los Angeles. The unlit Infiniti also swerved, but the maneuver went awry, leading to a loss of control, culminating in a crash with an area Metro train.
The aftermath of the crash was dire and intense, necessitating the intervention of the Long Beach Fire Department. Responders extracted the woman from the wreckage and rushed her to a hospital. Despite their best efforts, the injuries proved insurmountable, and the woman later died. The Honda driver, who did not suffer serious injuries, remained at the scene and cooperated with police. No one aboard the train incurred harm during the encounter.
Speed and impaired driving loom as significant concerns in the investigation. "Speed and impaired driving are being investigated as potential factors in this collision regarding the driver of the Infinity," revealed a statement from the Long Beach Police Department, which is exploring these elements thoroughly. The authorities have not yet released the identity of the Compton woman, holding out of respect for the process of next of kin notification by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office, as the official Long Beach Police Department news release shared.
