9:04pm | A Hawthorne man died Thursday after his Vespa collided with an SUV in Long Beach, police said.
Zachary Kurzawinski, 18, of Hawthorne, was pronounced dead at a local hospital several hours after the accident, according to information provided by Long Beach Police Department spokeswoman Lisa Massacani.
The traffic collision occurred July 28 at about 8:39 a.m. near the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Santa Fe Avenue.
The preliminary investigation has revealed that Kurzawinski was driving a blue Vespa at a high rate of speed heading east on PCH. A 43-year-old Long Beach man driving a green Toyota FJ Cruiser was also heading east on PCH and proceeded to change lanes in order to turn into the parking lot of a business on the southeast corner of the intersection, Massacani said.
It was at this point that the Vespa collided with the Toyota, she said.
Officers in the area responded to the scene and provided aid to Kurzawinski until paramedics arrived and transported him to a local hospital in critical condition.
Massacani said the driver of the Toyota, who was not injured, was questioned at the scene and released.
The investigation is ongoing, and the case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office upon its completion.
Anyone with information regarding the incident is urged to call LBPD Accident Investigations Detective Richard Birdsall at 562-570-7355.
Tipsters wishing to remain anonymous may submit information online or via text by visiting the Long Beach Police Department website, LongBeach.gov/police.