A man died early this morning and another man remains in critical condition after a two-car crash in Long Beach’s South Wrigley neighborhood, according to the LBPD.

Police said they got a call about the wreck on Magnolia Avenue between 21st and Hill streets just after 4 a.m.

Police said a 2021 Hyundai Sonata was speeding northbound along Magnolia when the car slammed into a 1996 Toyota Camry driving southbound. The Toyota driver, whom authorities have yet to publicly identify, died at the scene.

The Sonata driver, identified by LBPD only as a resident of Downey, was transported to a local hospital where he remains in critical condition.

Neither drugs nor alcohol appear to be a factor in the collision, according to a department press release.

Resident Robbie Jones said the cars collided on a dangerous stretch of roadway where people will often race down the street to see how fast of a speed they can register on the radar reader at 23rd Street and Magnolia Avenue.

“It’s a constant issue with people speeding up and down this street,” she said, adding that residents have been requesting speed bumps and other speed-mitigating measures for years.

Magnolia Avenue between 21st and Hill streets reopened just before 1:30 p.m. after an hours-long closure while police investigated.

Editor’s note: This story was updated with more information from police.

Traffic deaths have spiked in recent years, with 45 in 2022