Authorities Thursday identified a motorist who was killed in a single-vehicle crash near the Long Beach (710) Freeway just north of downtown Long Beach.
Police were sent to northbound Shoreline Drive just north of the Seventh Street onramp to the northbound freeway around 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, the Long Beach Police Department reported.
Miguel Vazquez, 39, of Long Beach died at the scene, according to the coroner’s office.
According to police, Vazquez was driving a 2009 Kia Sportage SUV north on Shoreline Drive “at a high rate of speed.”
“As the road veered to the left, the driver continued straight and struck the curb at the gore point where 6th Street merges onto West Shoreline Drive,” a police statement said. “The contact with the curb caused his front right tire to go flat, and the vehicle overturned tumbling twice before landing on its wheels and ejecting the driver who was not seat-belted.”
Police were working to determine if drugs or alcohol were a factor in the crash.
The crash led to a major traffic tie-up during the evening rush hour, as all on-ramps to the northbound freeway were closed south of Ninth Street. The freeway was fully re-opened by 9 p.m.
Anyone with information on the case was urged to call the Long Beach Police Department Collision Investigation Detail at (562) 570-7355.