Photo courtesy of LBFD.

A man was sent to a local trauma hospital in critical condition on Wednesday after his vehicle went off the San Gabriel (605) Freeway in Long Beach into an embankment and struck a tree, according to the Long Beach Fire Department (LBFD).

California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers initially reported a vehicle-versus-tree crash at 11:32AM on Wednesday, May 25 on the northbound 605 freeway just south of Carson Street, which blocked the No. 4 lane for a few minutes.

LBFD personnel were called to the scene at 11:34AM regarding a collision between two vehicles, including one that went down an embankment and struck a tree, LBFD spokesman Brian Fisk said.

The man had his lower extremities entangled in the vehicle which took firefighters about 20 minutes to free him, said Fisk, who called the incident a “pretty severe crash.”

Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) engine personnel assisted LBFD firefighters with the extraction, Fisk said.

The victim was transported in critical condition to an area trauma hospital.

No other details were provided regarding the incident. No other victims were reported.

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