Long Beach police say a 49-year-old man in a wheelchair was hospitalized with a head injury after a driver crashed into him and then fled the scene.
The crash happened shortly before 1:50 a.m. Monday on Pacific Coast Highway between Lemon and Orange avenues — near the Long Beach City College campus — according to LBPD spokesperson Andrea Moran.
She said the man in the wheelchair was crossing PCH outside of a marked crosswalk when he was struck by a “dark-colored” vehicle. He’s expected to survive, she said.
The driver fled the scene before officers arrived, according to Moran.
Detectives were still looking into whether speed, distracted driving or driving under the influence were factors in the crash, Moran said.
Long Beach may soon add speed cameras to PCH. If passed by the state legislature, a bill introduced by state Sen. Lena Gonzalez last February would authorize speed cameras along the 8.5-mile stretch of PCH through Long Beach. They would be in addition to the other 18 speed cameras the city plans to install along other roads.
Speed has been a major factor in Long Beach’s rising number of fatal crashes in recent years.