Bailey Vasquez Death – Huntington Beach experienced a tragic and eventful weekend marked by a series of motorcycle crashes, heavy fog, the Pacific Airshow, and a Trump rally that drew thousands of visitors.
Huntington Beach police responded to three serious motorcycle accidents in roughly 24 hours, resulting in one fatality and three hospitalizations. The first and most devastating crash occurred on Friday evening near Beach Boulevard and Taylor Drive.
According to a Huntington Beach Police Department news release, a 2024 Yamaha R1 motorcycle collided with a 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLS450 around 7 p.m. Investigators believe the Mercedes was making a U-turn from the left-turn lane when the southbound motorcyclist, identified as 24-year-old Bailey Dominic Vasquez of Rosemead, struck the vehicle.
First responders found Vasquez lying in the roadway, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Mercedes, a 47-year-old Huntington Beach man, stayed at the scene and cooperated with police. Authorities determined that the driver was not intoxicated. Beach Boulevard was closed for several hours as the investigation took place.
On Saturday, another collision occurred around 2 p.m. on Pacific Coast Highway at Main Street, when a motorcyclist collided with a sedan. The motorcyclist had pulled away from the intersection, where videos show a crowd of Trump supporters and a pack of bikers revving their engines.
The rider was seen popping a wheelie before crashing into a vehicle ahead of him. The motorcyclist sustained moderate injuries and was transported to a local hospital. No one in the vehicle was injured, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Later that evening, a third crash took place near the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Beach Boulevard, temporarily closing lanes. A motorcyclist collided with a pedestrian, causing severe injuries to both. The motorcyclist also hit another vehicle, though the driver did not require hospitalization. Both the pedestrian and the motorcyclist were taken to area hospitals for treatment.
Police have yet to determine the exact causes of these collisions. However, the unseasonably foggy weather, combined with the influx of visitors due to the Pacific Airshow and the rally, contributed to a busy weekend for first responders.
“It was not a normal weekend here in Huntington Beach,” said Huntington Beach Police Department spokeswoman Jessica Cuchilla.
Authorities are asking anyone who witnessed Friday’s fatal crash or any of the other incidents to contact HBPD Traffic Investigator Vishal Rattanchandani at (714) 536-5231.