2 Separate deaths under investigation in Huntington Beach

Two people died in separate Huntington Beach incidents Wednesday morning — a fatal collision involving a pedestrian near Beach Boulevard at Talbert Avenue and an apparent suicide about one-half mile north of the pier — that are both under investigation by police.

Huntington Beach police spokeswoman Jessica Cuchilla confirmed a male pedestrian was declared dead at the scene of the vehicle collision, which happened shortly after midnight. He was identified only as a 45-year-old resident of the city of Stanton.

A green Honda CRV driven by a 73-year-old Santa Ana man was traveling north on Beach when it struck the pedestrian in a traffic lane just north of the road’s intersection with Talbert Avenue, according to police. The driver’s name was not made public.

The body of an unidentified woman was discovered near Huntington Beach’s Lifeguard Tower No, 8, north of the city pier. Police believe the death was a suicide.

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The pedestrian was rendered unconscious from the collision and died by the time paramedics arrived on scene, Cuchilla said.

The driver of the vehicle sustained no injuries and remained at the scene to cooperate with investigating officers. It does not appear impairment played a role in the crash, the spokeswoman said.

Later Wednesday morning, just before 7:30 a.m., police received another call about a woman’s body discovered on the beach near Lifeguard Tower No. 8, just north of the Huntington Beach Pier, off Pacific Coast Highway, between 8th and 9th streets, according to Cuchilla.

No other identifying information was available in the hours immediately following the discovery. Responding officers called the fire department to the scene but canceled the call when the individual was determined to be dead, she said.

While no further details about the condition of the body were available Wednesday, police believe the unidentified woman might have taken her own life, Cuchilla reported.

“Preliminary investigation indicates it is a suicide — we’re not investigating a crime, we’re not looking for anybody and there is no public safety threat,” she added.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the county coroner’s office was not identifying either of the two individuals, pending notification of their next of kin, according to a sheriff’s department spokesman.