Ethan Chung Arrested After Long Beach Wheelchair Collision

LONG BEACH, CA – A man using a wheelchair died after a BMW struck him in a marked Long Beach crosswalk Friday. Police arrested the suspected driver about five blocks from the scene. The fatal wheelchair collision occurred at Pacific Coast Highway and East Seventh Street. 

Witnesses told police that a white BMW sedan was traveling south on Pacific Coast Highway when it struck the man as he crossed at Seventh Street. The Police Department’s preliminary investigation placed the man in the marked crosswalk and described him as traveling east across the highway. 

Officers performed CPR until Long Beach Fire Department personnel arrived and continued lifesaving efforts. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities did not immediately release his name, pending identification and notification of his family. 

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Long Beach BMW Driver Ethan Chung Allegedly Left Without Rendering Aid 

According to My News LA, the police said the BMW stopped after the collision but then left without the driver rendering aid. Officers located a 2021 BMW and its suspected driver near Second Street and Pacific Coast Highway, about five blocks from the crash site. 

The driver was identified as Ethan Chung, 23, of Irvine. Police booked him into Long Beach City Jail on suspicion of felony hit-and-run and vehicular manslaughter. Bail was set at $50,000. The booking allegations were not a finding of guilt, and the traffic investigation remained open. 

Chung’s arrest satisfied the immediate search for the driver, but police did not announce a final determination about the cause of the collision. The department’s preliminary statement said speed, distracted driving, and impaired driving did not appear to be factors. 

Investigators Looking for Witnesses 

The intersection carries Pacific Coast Highway traffic through east Long Beach, with Seventh Street crossing the highway near the traffic-controlled junction. Police did not state which signal phase applied to the BMW or the man in the wheelchair when they entered the crosswalk area. 

Video from the scene showed the damaged wheelchair in the roadway while emergency personnel worked nearby. Another man was taken to an ambulance while receiving oxygen, but authorities did not identify him or explain whether he was hurt in the collision. The Police Department’s statement confirmed only the wheelchair user’s death. 

Detectives continued reviewing the circumstances of the impact and the driver’s departure. They asked anyone with information to contact Detective Ashley Van Holland of the Collision Investigation Detail at 562-570-7355. Anonymous tips could be submitted through Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers. 

Police had not released the victim’s identity or amended their preliminary findings by Saturday morning. The latest public account said the BMW and its suspected driver had been found and the investigation remained active.