Huntington Beach man found dead after vehicle loses control on PCH, strikes traffic signal

A 34-year-old Huntington Beach resident died in a fiery crash early Wednesday morning, after the vehicle he was driving on Pacific Coast Highway collided with another vehicle, lost control and crashed into a traffic signal, police reported.

Ricky Martinez was reportedly traveling southbound on PCH shortly before 1:30 a.m. in a 2003 white Infiniti FX45 when the vehicle crashed into an unoccupied vehicle parked just north of Huntington Street, according to a release issued Thursday by the Huntington Beach Police Department.

That crash caused Martinez’s vehicle to lose control, at which point it struck a traffic signal on the southwest corner of the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Huntington Street and caught fire.

Police and firefighters responded to the scene of the accident, where Martinez was found inside the vehicle and pronounced dead at 1:28 a.m., according to the Orange County coroner’s office. It is unknown whether drugs or alcohol may have played a role in the incident.

No other drivers or pedestrians were injured during the incident, police reported Thursday.

Huntington Beach police’s Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team is currently reviewing the matter. Anyone who witnessed the collision, or the events leading up to it, is encouraged to contact HBPD traffic investigator Doug Demetre at (714) 536-5670 or investigator Vishal Rattanchandani at (714) 536-5663.

Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber.