A 44-year-old man died after a high-speed, two-vehicle crash on Pacific Coast Highway in the Alamitos Heights area of Long Beach on the night of August 22, 2026. Long Beach police say a 2026 Tesla was traveling westbound on PCH at a high rate of speed when it struck a 2025 Volkswagen that was exiting a nearby shopping center. The Tesla then jumped the curb and struck a cinder block wall, damaging several parked vehicles, while the Volkswagen struck a sign. The Tesla’s driver, later identified as Robert Fairbanks, 44, died from blunt trauma; the Volkswagen’s 48-year-old driver and 43-year-old passenger were hospitalized.
According to MyNewsLA.com, the crash occurred at approximately 10:30 p.m. in the 5700 block of Pacific Coast Highway near Bellflower Boulevard. The Long Beach Police Department’s Collision Investigation Detail, led by Detective Dougherty, is investigating and says speed and impaired driving appear to be contributing factors. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 562-570-7355 or LA Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS. The case remains under active investigation as detectives work to determine the full sequence of events.