LONG BEACH, CA – Josephine Espiritu, 59, was killed on Monday morning during a three-car collision caused by illegal street racers.
Espiritu was legally crossing the road at the intersection of Santa Fe Avenue and West Hill Street on May 11, according to the Long Beach Post. At approximately 6:45 a.m. a black Nissan 350Z and a Lexus IS200 came speeding down Santa Fe Avenue. As they reached the intersection, the two vehicles crashed into a minivan. The force of the collision caused the Lexus to spin and hit Espiritu while he was in the crosswalk.
Officers from the Long Beach Police Department pronounced Espiritu dead on the scene of the accident.
The driver in the minivan and the driver in the Lexus sustained injuries in the accident. They were both transported to a local hospital for treatment. Officials report that the minivan’s driver sustained minor injuries, but the driver in the Lexus was in critical condition.
The Nissan involved in the crash fled the scene before the police arrived. The police are still searching for the vehicle, described as a black Nissan sports car with slatted back-window coverings.
Officers believe that the Nissan and the Lexus were street racing at the time of the accident. They do not believe that either driver was intoxicated when they crashed. Police plan to present charges against both drivers who caused the crash.
Officials are encouraging anyone with information about the accident to call Detective Allen Duncan at 562-570-7355.