This information is preliminary and subject to change.
Release Date 17 March 2026
On Saturday, February 21, 2026, about 1:17 a.m. Pacific standard time, a 2008 Honda Accord passenger car, occupied by a 28-year-old male driver and three passengers, was traveling south on State Route 19 (SR-19), locally known as North Lakewood Boulevard, in Long Beach, Los Angeles County, California. The weather was clear and the roadway was dry. North Lakewood Boulevard is a divided six-lane concrete roadway with three lanes in each direction of travel. At the crash location, the roadway is divided by a curbed median and a vertical concrete dividing wall separating the dual rectangular tunnel under the Long Beach Airport. The posted speed limit at the crash location was 45 mph.
As the passenger car entered a downhill left-to-right curve, the car departed the roadway to the left where it struck and overrode the curbed median. The car then collided head-on with the vertical concrete dividing wall (see photo). A postcrash fire ensued.
As a result of the crash, the driver and three passengers were fatally injured.
The parties to the NTSB investigation are:
- Long Beach Police Department
- Long Beach Public Works Department
All aspects of the crash remain under investigation while the NTSB determines the probable cause, with the intent of issuing safety recommendations to prevent similar events.
