Car and Truck Accidents in Long Beach: A Local Guide

Long Beach is a city of nearly half a million people wrapped around one of the busiest container ports in the Western Hemisphere. The Port of Long Beach and the adjacent Port of Los Angeles generate a constant stream of heavy trucks on the I-710 (Long Beach Freeway), the SR-47 Terminal Island Freeway, Anaheim Street, Pacific Coast Highway and Alameda Street. Collisions between passenger cars and drayage trucks are a defining local risk.

Away from the port, Long Beach is a dense city with a walkable downtown, Cal State Long Beach, the Metro A Line and a large cycling population. The I-405, I-605, SR-91 and SR-22 all cross the city, and arterials such as Pacific Coast Highway, Lakewood Boulevard, Bellflower Boulevard, Atlantic Avenue and Seventh Street carry heavy local traffic.

Who writes the collision report in Long Beach

The Long Beach Police Department handles collisions on city streets. The California Highway Patrol handles I-710, I-405, I-605, SR-91, SR-22 and SR-47. Collisions on Port of Long Beach property may be handled by Long Beach PD or the Harbor Patrol; collisions on Cal State Long Beach grounds are handled by University Police.

In truck collisions, evidence beyond the police report matters: the motor carrier’s identity (often different from the name on the cab), the trailer owner, electronic logging device data and the port’s truck appointment records. Photograph the USDOT and CA numbers on the cab and the container and chassis identifiers.

Where Long Beach collisions happen

I-710 Long Beach Freeway

The primary truck route from the ports to the rail yards and warehouses to the north. Heavy-truck volumes, short merges at Anaheim, PCH, Willow and Del Amo and the SR-91/I-405 interchanges produce frequent truck-involved rear-end and sideswipe collisions.

Terminal Island Freeway (SR-47) and Ocean Boulevard

Port access routes with heavy trucks, bridge approaches (the new Long Beach International Gateway bridge) and tight ramp geometry.

Pacific Coast Highway and Anaheim Street

Dense commercial corridors with pedestrians, cyclists and trucks diverting from the freeways. Left-turn and pedestrian collisions are commonly reported.

Downtown and the Traffic Circle

Downtown’s one-way streets, the Metro A Line crossings and the Long Beach Traffic Circle (PCH/Lakewood/Los Coyotes) are frequent sites of low-speed and right-of-way collisions.

Common collision scenarios

• Passenger vehicles struck by drayage trucks on the 710 and port access roads.
• Rear-end collisions in freeway congestion near the 710/405/91 interchanges.
• Pedestrian and cyclist collisions downtown and along PCH and Anaheim Street.
• Collisions at the Traffic Circle with disputed right of way.
• Collisions with Metro A Line trains or buses, which trigger government claim deadlines.

Courts, hospitals and local practicalities

The Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse in downtown Long Beach handles civil, criminal and traffic matters for the area, though many unlimited injury cases are assigned to the downtown Los Angeles personal injury courts. MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center and Dignity Health St. Mary Medical Center are the city’s trauma centers.

Truck collisions often involve federal motor carrier regulations (hours of service, maintenance, driver qualification) and multiple insurers with high policy limits. Preserving the carrier’s records requires prompt written notice. See truck accidents in Long Beach.

Long Beach claim guides

Detailed local pages for the collision and injury types most common in Long Beach.

Accident types and injuries

Long Beach questions

I was hit by a container truck near the port. Who is responsible besides the driver?

Potentially the motor carrier that employed or dispatched the driver, the owner of the tractor or chassis, and in some cases a broker or shipper. Many port drivers are owner-operators under lease to a carrier, which affects insurance. Identifying all parties early is important.

Does CHP or Long Beach PD take reports on the 710?

CHP. The 710 is a state freeway. Long Beach PD handles the surface streets, including the port-adjacent arterials.

A Metro A Line train was involved in my collision. Is there a special deadline?

Yes. Claims against Metro (LACMTA), a public entity, must be presented within six months of the incident under Government Code § 911.2 before a lawsuit can be filed.

Sources and official resources

• FMCSA — hours-of-service regulations
• Government Code § 911.2 (six-month claim deadline against public entities)
• California Highway Patrol — find an office
• California Office of Traffic Safety — crash rankings by city
• Long Beach Police Department
• Port of Long Beach

Links go to official government, court and public-health sources. Laws change; verify current text before relying on it.