A 56-year-old man who was killed when he drove the wrong way down a busy street in Long Beach was identified today by county authorities.
Thomas Harris slammed his 2024 Lexus NX250 head-on into a Dodge Challenger, initiating a three-vehicle collision that injured six others. The crash in the 2300 block of Pacific Coast Highway between Raymond and Dawson avenues was reported at 7:06 p.m. Thursday, said Long Beach Fire Department Capt. Jake Heflin.
“There were at least seven patients who were injured, and at least five were taken to a local hospital,” Heflin told City News Service.
It’s not clear why Harris was going the wrong way on PCH, but police said they don’t believe speed, drugs or alcohol were factors.
Firefighters used mechanical devices to free one person from a vehicle. Harris was pronounced dead at the scene, Heflin said. The injured parties were taken to hospitals with non-life threatening injuries.
Harris’ city of residence was not known.
The crash closed the area between Pacific Coast Highway and Junipero Avenue for several hours.