Police say an 81-year-old Long Beach man died in a crash Monday morning near the Long Beach Airport.
The crash happened at about 8:10 a.m. at the intersection of Wardlow Road and Lakewood Boulevard, according to Long Beach police.
Investigators determined that a 1998 Chevrolet van was heading southbound on Lakewood Boulevard when it made a left turn onto eastbound Wardlow Road and collided with a 2024 Ford SUV in the intersection, police said.
After the collision, the van sped up and collided with a tree on the south sidewalk of Wardlow Road, police said.
The van’s driver was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. He was identified as 81-year-old Richard Adam Brown of Long Beach.
The Ford driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.
Police believe speed was a factor in the collision.
Monday’s crash was the 24th fatal traffic collision of the year. At this time last year, Long Beach had recorded 26 deadly crashes, which led to the city’s highest total for a year in more than a decade.