Two men were killed when a large SUV plunged from Studebaker Road into the Los Cerritos Channel near the AES power plant in Long Beach, authorities said.
Police say the driver of the GMC Yukon was speeding and weaving in and out of traffic northbound on Studebaker Road around 6:20 p.m. when he lost control and crashed into part of the bridge spanning the Los Cerritos Channel.
The impact caused the vehicle to catch fire and plunge into about 10 feet of water below, police said.
Arriving firefighters summoned lifeguards and Urban Search and Rescue divers who pulled a man in his 30s from the water. He was rushed to a hospital while CPR was performed, the Long Beach Fire Department said, but he was soon declared dead.
Divers continued to search in and around the SUV and found another man trapped inside, Long Beach Fire Department Capt. Jake Heflin said. The Los Angeles County Fire Department’s heavy wrecker pulled the vehicle from the water, and that man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Both of the men’s identities were not immediately revealed as the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office works to notify their relatives, police said.
It appeared the SUV was the only vehicle involved in the wreck, Heflin said. At this time, police are investigating speed, reckless driving and impaired driving as possible factors in the crash, according to authorities.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with more information from the Long Beach fire and police departments.