Authorities say that a 21-year-old driver lost control of his vehicle around 8 p.m. on Friday night at the intersection of Beach Boulevard and Sterling Drive. The vehicle slammed into a tree at a high rate of speed, ejecting one passenger.
The ejected passenger was declared dead at the scene. The driver was found “partially restrained” in the car and was also declared dead. The LA Times reports that the driver was from Rowland Heights but did not identify him further.
Authorities say that two additional passengers were found near the car at the scene and were treated for moderate injuries.
Drunk Driving Is a Major Cause of Traffic Fatalities in Los Angeles County
California is among the five largest states for total traffic fatalities, but its DUI-death rate is lower than the national average of 31 percent. Aggressive DUI enforcement is one of the reasons why California has lower DUI death rates compared to other states. Los Angeles County recently held a weekend-long drunk driving crackdown surrounding the Cinco de Mayo holiday.
At least 100 law enforcement agencies in the county participated in the crackdown, arresting 466 drivers on suspicion of intoxicated driving.