Man killed after crashing into sewage treatment facility in Playa del Rey

PLAYA DEL REY, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A man was killed after losing control and crashing his vehicle into a sewage treatment facility in Playa del Rey Wednesday night, police said.

The victim was driving southbound on Pershing Drive near W. Imperial Highway when he ran his vehicle off the road and crashed into a fence and the side of a building at the Hyperion Sewage Treatment Plant around 11:30 p.m.

Responding firefighters found his vehicle fully ablaze. The male driver was found inside the mangled wreckage and pronounced dead at the scene. His identity has not been released pending notification of next of kin.

Police say he was the only occupant in the vehicle. It appears he was traveling at a high rate of speed when he lost control.

A building at the sewage treatment facility was damaged, but officials say the plant is still operational.

The man's vehicle was towed away from the scene. Pershing Drive was closed at Imperial Highway for several hours as police conducted their investigation.