Hermosa Beach
A 24-year-old Hermosa Beach man remained in “extremely critical” condition after the van in which he was riding exploded into flames Tuesday in a Hermosa Beach collision, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Michael Edwards was being treated for extensive burns at Torrance Memorial Hospital, according to spokeswoman Yvonne Callahan.
Edwards was a passenger in a van apparently sideswiped by a Jeep it was allegedly racing, said Hermosa Beach police Sgt. Guy Walters.
After the collision at Hermosa Avenue and 16th Street, the van turned on its side and slid 100 feet before hitting a parked car and exploding into flames, Walters said.
It took several attempts by passers-by and police officers to remove Edwards from the van, Walters added.
The driver of the van, Abel Ybarra, 22, suffered minor injuries in the 2:13 a.m. accident, according to Walters. He and Jeep driver Morri Mohr, 24, of Hermosa Beach, were later arrested for drunken driving, Walters said.
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