A man is dead and a woman has been hospitalized following a crash Tuesday night just north of St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach, according to authorities.
Police say the man was driving a 2012 Ford Focus eastbound on Anaheim Street when the driver of a 2012 Lexus IS250 who was headed northbound on Atlantic Avenue broadsided him in the middle of the intersection.
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The impact caused the man to lose control of the Ford Focus and strike a traffic light and an abandoned building, police said. The driver of the Lexus also lost control and struck a bus bench, they added.
Officers were notified of the crash just before 11:50 p.m. and responded to the intersection where they found the man trapped inside his car.
Long Beach Fire Department personnel arrived shortly after and pronounced the man dead, police said. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man as 60-year-old Rodger Lee Watkins.
The driver of the Lexus, who was identified as a 31-year-old Long Beach woman, remained at the scene and cooperated with the investigation before being transported to a local hospital for her injuries, which are not considered life-threatening, police said.
At this time, police believe speeding, distracted and impaired driving may be factors in the crash.
Police urged witnesses or anyone with information to contact detectives at 562-570-7355.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with more information from police.