A 31-year-old motorist from Long Beach was killed Saturday in an accident on the 405 Freeway in Carson caused by an intoxicated driver, authorities said.
The man was driving his 2000 Isuzu when he was rear-ended by a 23-year-old Harbor City man driving a 2013 Toyota northbound on the freeway, south of Avalon Boulevard at about 6:00AM, according to a statement from the California Highway Patrol.
The collision caused both vehicles to veer to the right, which led the Isuzu to veer off the road and wedge itself into a tree located in a dirt embankment that borders the east road edge of the northbound freeway.
The Isuzu then immediately became engulfed in flames, the CHP said.
The driver of the Isuzu, a 31-year-old Long Beach man, was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics at about 6:18AM. His name will be released pending notification of next of kin, said Los Angeles County Department of Coroner spokesperson Lt. Fred Corral.
Following the collision, the driver of the Toyota continued driving out of control in a northeast direction, crossing through the right shoulder and into the dirt embankment, where it struck a posted informational sign and electrical pole, the CHP said.
The Toyota then veered to the left in a northwest direction, where it crossed all lanes of traffic and struck the concrete center divider wall.
The condition of the driver of the Toyota was not immediately known, the CHP said. He was booked on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs.
No further information is currently available. We will update this story as we learn more.
City News Service contributed to this report.