Two people are in serious condition after a single-vehicle crash in Bixby Knolls, firefighters say.
Long Beach fire officials said firefighters responded around 4:30 p.m. to the intersection of California Avenue and East San Antonio Drive where they found six people trapped inside an SUV that had crashed into a tree in the median. At least one person had to be cut out of the vehicle using the Jaws of Life, LBFD spokesperson Brian Fisk said.
Four of the six people inside the vehicle were taken to a local hospital, where two were in serious condition, the LBFD said. At this moment, the cause of the crash and the status of the other patients is unknown.
4:42pm – LBFD units on scene of a single car accident into a tree with 6 trapped victims. 1 patient cut out of vehicle using the “jaws of life.” 4 of 6 patients transported to area trauma hospitals, two in serious condition. pic.twitter.com/Fir495jtzw
— Long Beach Fire (CA) (@LBFD) February 16, 2022
Police and firefighters closed off the area between San Antonio Drive and East Freeland Street for over an hour Tuesday afternoon as they worked to figure out how the wreck occurred.
The front of the car was completely smashed and all the windows shattered. Car parts were lying around the street, including a single upright wheel.
Meanwhile, neighbors in the area gathered as hail and rain poured, “concerned over the lack of safety” in that intersection.
Kathleen Schoendienst, a local Bixby Knolls resident said drivers often speed up and down the street ignoring stop signs.
“It’s a problem,” said Schoendienst, who advocated for speed bumps or traffic lights in the area.
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