Just after midnight Sunday in Long Beach, a late-night turn on Pacific Avenue ended with a motorcyclist in the hospital and traffic crawling near East 16th Street.
Police and medics responded after an SUV and a motorcycle collided on Pacific Avenue shortly after midnight. The rider was taken to a nearby hospital with injuries that were not immediately disclosed, while the woman driving a Chevrolet Trailblazer stayed at the scene and was not hurt. Crews slowed traffic near East 16th Street as tow trucks and medics worked to clear the wreckage.
Crash details
According to California Accident Alerts, the crash happened when the Chevrolet Trailblazer, heading south on Pacific Avenue, tried to turn east onto East 16th Street and struck a northbound motorcycle. The post reports the motorcycle ended up pinned beneath a parked car and that the rider was reportedly traveling without headlights. The same post notes that authorities did not believe speed or alcohol were contributing factors.
Where this happened
The collision occurred on Pacific Avenue near Pacific Coast Highway, a stretch the city has already marked as a trouble spot for repeated crashes. Per the City of Long Beach Department of Public Works, segments of Pacific Avenue appear on Long Beach’s high-injury network and are among the corridors prioritized for measures such as speed enforcement and design changes aimed at reducing serious injuries.
Why Pacific Avenue is under scrutiny
Long Beach is planning a multi-million-dollar redesign of Pacific Avenue as part of its Safe Streets and Vision Zero push to cut down on severe crashes. A recent LAist report highlighted a city road study that found only about 14% of drivers were at or under the 25 mph speed limit along the corridor. Planners say tools such as protected bike lanes, road diets, and new crossings are intended to slow drivers and reduce the severity of collisions when they do happen.
What authorities are doing
In Long Beach, Collision Investigation detectives typically handle serious motorcycle crashes, and the department’s public press archive lists several similar investigations. Per the Long Beach Police Department, there was no specific press release about the March 15 collision as of Monday, March 16.
