Crime & Safety

Car Crash Crushes Homeless Man Sleeping in Doorway

Police need witnesses to a crash that sent a vehicle careening into a doorway where a man slept. He was the 8th pedestrian killed this year.

Police today sought witnesses to a two-car crash in Long Beach that sent one of the vehicles careening into the doorway of a business, killing a sleeping homeless man.

Both drivers were uninjured and remained at the scene of the crash that occurred about 11:45 p.m. Friday at the intersection of Santa Fe Avenue and Spring Street, according to Long Beach police.

According to the preliminary investigation, a 2004 Honda Civic driven by an 18-year-old Long Beach woman was headed north on Santa Fe Avenue and collided with a 2008 Scion TC driven by a 19-year-old Norwalk man.

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The Scion had been westbound on Spring Street and its driver was attempting a right turn onto Santa Fe when the crash occurred, police said.

The Scion then “ricocheted up onto the sidewalk” and struck a bus bench and the victim, who was sleeping in the doorway of a business, according to a police statement.

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The identity of the man, who died at a hospital, was not immediately released. Police described him as middle-aged.

Neither driver appeared to be impaired, Long Beach police Lt. Jeff Berkenkamp said on Saturday.

It was the eighth fatal vehicle-versus-pedestrian crash investigated by Long Beach police this year.

No witnesses were identified at the scene, so police are asking anyone who saw the crash to call Long Beach police Collision Investigation Detective Steve Fox at (562) 570-7110. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS.

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