Early Saturday morning, a single-vehicle crash near Long Beach Airport turned a busy airport approach into a grim scene, with a car engulfed in flames and multiple people dead, according to early reports. The wreck happened on Lakewood Boulevard just south of Spring Street, and initial accounts say several occupants were trapped inside the burning vehicle. Authorities shut down the area while investigators started working to figure out what led to the crash.
Preliminary dispatch logs and local reporting indicate the collision happened at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday, when a vehicle slammed into a pillar near the airport and burst into flames, trapping people inside, according to OnScene. Early counts from those reports put the death toll at at least three people, with some accounts suggesting there could be as many as five. One person may have been ejected, the reports said. Long Beach Police Department and Long Beach Fire Department units responded and remained on scene as detectives began their investigation.
Where the crash happened
The crash took place on Lakewood Boulevard south of Spring Street, the stretch that runs along the eastern edge of Long Beach Airport and drops into a short tunnel under the runway. That section sits right by the airport entrance and was recently identified as the planned site for a new "Fly LONG BEACH" sign, according to local reporting and city materials. With airport traffic mixing with regional commuters at all hours, a major collision in this corridor is not just dangerous, it is massively disruptive.
Investigation and local context
Long Beach has been dealing with a particularly deadly period on its streets, with police data showing more than 50 fatal crashes citywide in 2025, according to NBC Los Angeles. That backdrop raises the stakes for investigators working this latest case. Officials have not released any identifying information about the victims or a possible cause and say the crash remains under investigation. Detectives are expected to reconstruct the collision and review physical evidence, witness statements, and any available video to piece together what happened.
How to help
Anyone with footage or information about the crash is urged to contact the Long Beach Police Department Collision Investigation Detail at (562) 570-7355. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through LA Crime Stoppers. Investigators often lean heavily on witness video and traffic-camera footage in serious crashes like this, and authorities are encouraging anyone who might have useful material to come forward. The city and police department say they will release additional details as the investigation moves forward.
