Man in wheelchair struck by car in Huntington Beach ID’d
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A 74-year-old man from Westminster died from injuries sustained Tuesday, when his motorized wheelchair was struck by a vehicle as he crossed a street in Huntington Beach.
The incident took place at around 2 p.m. in an industrial and commercial area near the intersection of Skylab Road and Able Lane, Huntington Beach Police Department stated in a release Tuesday afternoon.
Investigators believe the man was crossing south on Skylab when a white Honda Civic traveling eastbound on the same street struck him. Officers arrived on scene and found the occupant of the wheelchair lying in the roadway unconscious.
He was transported to a nearby hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries, HBPD reported.
The driver of the vehicle, described only as a 45-year-old man from Los Angeles, was not injured in the crash. He remained on scene and cooperated with police, who believe impairment does not appear to have played a role in the crash.
Whether the victim may have been impaired is still unknown, police reported. The man was identified by the county coroner’s office on Wednesday as 74-year-old Westminster resident Richard Wayne Perlstein, Orange County Sheriff’s spokesperson Sgt. Gerard McCann confirmed.
The ongoing collision investigation is being handled by the department’s Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team. Anyone who may have witnessed the collision or events leading up to it is encouraged to contact HBPD traffic investigator Vishal Rattanchandani at (714) 536-5231.
Updates
12:25 p.m. Aug. 19, 2026: This story has been updated to include the identification of the decedent, provided by the county coroner’s office through a sheriff’s spokesperson.
