A suspected illegal street race in Gardena turned deadly when a driver of a Ford Mustang crashed and was thrown from the car, police said.
The driver was possibly racing an Audi when his Mustang crashed about 4:50 p.m. Tuesday near Vermont Avenue and 155th Street, Gardena Police Department officials said.
The car was said to have been driving at freeway speeds when it slammed into a white Honda, rolled over and skidded to a stop against a bowling alley. The Mustang driver was ejected from the car. He was declared dead at the scene.
A passenger was taken to the hospital in unknown condition.
"(The passenger) was a girl. They crawled out of the black car and they took her in the ambulance, so she survived," witness Ana Quintana said.
The white Audi, described as possibly an A4 model from 2008 or newer, fled south of Vermont Avenue. Four cars were damaged or destroyed during the crash.
