1 of 2 pedestrians killed crossing Beach Boulevard in Huntington Beach is identified

HUNTINGTON BEACH – One of two pedestrians struck and killed while walking outside crosswalks on Beach Boulevard in Huntington Beach has been identified by the Orange County coroner’s office.

The crashes were just hours apart. Both pedestrians were pronounced dead at the scene.

Oscar Frias, 19, of Greeley, Colorado was hit on Sunday, March 10, at 3:15 a.m. He was crossing Beach Boulevard near Warner Avenue when he was struck by a 2013 silver Kia Optima heading north through the intersection on a green light, Huntington Beach Police Sgt. Eric Warken said.

Responding officers found Frias in the roadway with significant trauma to his head and body. The driver, a 26-year-old man from Riverside, stayed at the scene.

A few hours earlier, on Saturday, March 9, a woman believed to be between 50 and 60 years old was struck and killed by a silver Nissan Versa while she crossed Beach Boulevard near Slater Avenue, Warken said.

Officers dispatched to the location a little before 10:50 p.m. found her in the roadway with major trauma.

That car also had the green light, and the driver, a 47-year-old Cypress woman, remained at the scene, police said.

“I was somewhat shocked when I found out what happened,” Huntington Beach Police Lt. Kevin Johnson said last weekend. “I haven’t seen two fatal collisions happen  so close to each other in a long time.”

He said there are many businesses and residential neighborhoods along Beach Boulevard, which is often congested with foot and vehicle traffic. However, he described the areas where the two fatal collisions happened as well lit, with crosswalks reasonably spaced from each other.

Huntington Beach police accident investigators asked anyone who witnessed either crash to call them at (714) 536-5670.