________________________
________________________
By Brian Hews
Two people were killed Monday in an accident involving a minivan and a motorcycle in Long Beach.
The victims have been identified as Marianne Krone, a 65-year-old resident of La Palma and Frank Escalante, 23 of Lakewood.
A spokesperson from the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office confirmed the deaths to Los Cerritos Community Newspaper in an interview at around 11:30 p.m. on Monday night.
Escalante apparently lead local law enforcement on a brief chase before the violent crash took place at around 6:10 a.m. at Wardlow Road and Norwalk Boulevard after a CHP officer started pursuing him on his motorcycle who was speeding on the 605 Freeway.
Authorities say police attempted to pull over Escalante on the 605 Freeway, but he apparently sped off and exited on Spring Street. A short distance later, Escalante and the minivan of Krone’s apparently collided with deadly consequences for both individuals.
Authorities say that Escalante reached speeds of more than 100 miles per hour before exiting the freeway. It is not know if drugs or alcohol played a role in the incident.
