One man is dead and another is in serious condition following a car crash Monday night that closed traffic in the Ocean and Orizaba Avenue area for several hours early Tuesday morning.

When they arrived at about 10:15PM Monday night, officers discovered two unconscious men. One was lying in the grass behind the car, while the other was still seated in the passenger seat of the heavily damaged vehicle.

A preliminary investigation found that the vehicle, that included both victims inside, was traveling westbound on Ocean Boulevard when it lost control and struck a tree in the parkway on the south side of Ocean Blvd, said Long Beach Police Department spokeswoman Nancy Pratt.

Long Beach Fire Department officials arrived to the scene and determined the passenger, only being identified as a 27-year-old Long Beach resident pending family notification, as dead at the scene after sustaining traumatic injuries to his head and body.

The driver of the vehicle, identified as a 22-year-old Long Beach resident, was transported to a local hospital with internal injuries and remains in critical condition.

Investigators believe the driver and passenger may have been involved in street racing while traveling westbound on Ocean Boulevard from Paloma Avenue, based on witness statements.

One of the vehicles involved, a yellow 2003 Honda S2000, lost control shortly after passing Paloma Avenue, and crashed into two palm trees on the south side of Ocean Boulevard directly across the intersection at Orizaba Avenue.

Withnesses said the other potentially involved vehicles fled the scene after the collision.

The driver of one of the other vehicles was questioned and released and the investigation remains ongoing, Pratt said.

The incident is being investigated by LBPD’s Collision Investigation Detail, she said.

She said it is yet to be determined if alcohol was a factor in the crash.

Police shut down Ocean from Paloma to Temple in both directions from about 4:18AM to about 6:25AM Tuesday for the investigation.

Anyone with information or witnesses to the collision who have not spoken with police is asked to contact Collision Investigation Detail Detective Steve Fox at 562-570-7355. Anonymous tips may also be submitted by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), texting TIPLA plus the tp to CRIMES (274637) or visiting LACrimeStoppers.org.