A 29-year-old Gardena man was killed and two passengers suffered minor injuries when the SUV they were in overturned on the northbound Long Beach (710) Freeway in Bell after a tire blowout.
One of the rear tires blew out on the 1998 Honda Passport, causing him to lose control of the vehicle.
The SUV crossed three lanes as the driver desperately fought to regain control of the vehicle, but when he made a sharp left turn to avoid crashing into a retaining wall on the right side, the Honda overturned on the freeway, according to the CHP.
It happened about 1:40 p.m. Sunday, just south of Florence Avenue, California Highway Patrol Officer Alex Rubio said.
The crash shut down the numbers 2, 3 and 4 lanes on the freeway, resulting in a SigAlert at 2:02 p.m.
The lanes were cleared at 4:33 p.m., Rubio said.
The victim — whose name was withheld pending notification of kin — was pronounced dead at the scene by Los Angeles County fire paramedics. There was no word if the driver had been wearing a seat belt.
–City News Service