LOS ANGELES, CA – A 74-year-old Westminster man using a motorized wheelchair was struck by a vehicle and later died from his injuries Tuesday afternoon in Huntington Beach, authorities said.
The crash occurred around 2 p.m. on Aug. 18 at the intersection of Skylab Road and Able Lane, according to the Huntington Beach Police Department.
Officers arriving at the scene found the victim unconscious in the roadway.
Emergency personnel transported him to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Authorities have not publicly released the victim’s identity.
According to the preliminary investigation, the 74-year-old man was traveling southbound across Skylab Road in a motorized wheelchair when he was struck by a Honda traveling eastbound.
The driver was identified only as a 45-year-old Los Angeles man.
Police said the driver remained at the scene following the collision and cooperated with investigators.
“The driver of the Honda cooperated with investigators, and impairment does not appear to be a factor,” police said.
Authorities said it remained unknown whether impairment was a factor involving the wheelchair rider.
No arrest was announced.
Information reviewed by Street People indicates investigators have not yet released a more detailed reconstruction of the collision, including the Honda’s speed, the precise location of the impact within the intersection or whether either party was facing a traffic-control device immediately before the crash.
Police also have not said whether surveillance cameras, vehicle cameras or witnesses captured the collision.
Those details could become important as investigators work to establish the exact sequence that led to the fatal impact.
The fact that the Honda driver remained at the location allowed officers to immediately speak with him and examine the vehicle as part of the investigation.
Authorities have not disclosed whether the Honda sustained significant damage or whether it was impounded for further examination.
Police also have not indicated that mechanical failure contributed to the crash.
The victim was using a motorized wheelchair, placing him among particularly vulnerable roadway users whose speed, visibility and ability to react can differ substantially from those traveling in conventional vehicles.
That broader safety issue does not establish responsibility for Tuesday’s collision, which remains under investigation.
Huntington Beach police have previously said serious and fatal traffic collisions are subject to detailed investigation, including examination of the movements of the vehicles or people involved, roadway conditions and possible contributing factors.
In this case, investigators have already said impairment does not appear to have been a factor for the Honda driver.
They have not publicly ruled in or out other potential factors such as distraction, visibility or speed.
The intersection of Skylab Road and Able Lane is located in an area of Huntington Beach that includes commercial and business properties, but authorities have not identified the surrounding roadway design or traffic conditions as contributing to the crash.
No additional injuries were reported.
The 74-year-old victim was initially found unconscious and was still alive when transported from the scene, but later succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
His name is expected to remain withheld until the appropriate notification process has been completed.
Authorities have not released information about where the victim was headed or whether he routinely traveled through the intersection in his wheelchair.
Police have likewise not disclosed where the Honda driver was traveling before the collision.
The investigation remains active, and detectives are seeking information from anyone who may have seen the crash or observed either party shortly before the impact.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Huntington Beach Police Investigator Rattanchandani at 714-536-5231.
The fatal collision remains under investigation.
