Initial investigation reveals that a gray BMW 300i was traveling northbound on Beach Boulevard when it struck the pedestrian south of Heil Avenue, near a Norms restaurant
Huntington Beach, CA – The pedestrian who was killed in a vehicle collision in Huntington Beach on Saturday night has been identified as a 31-year-old Huntington Beach man.
William Daniel Schaaf was killed in the accident that took place at Beach Boulevard and Heil Avenue on Saturday, January 31, according to the Huntington Beach Police Department.
Initial investigation reveals that a gray BMW 300i was traveling northbound on Beach Boulevard when it struck the pedestrian south of Heil Avenue, near a Norms restaurant. The circumstances under which the crash happened were not immediately established.
Huntington Beach police officers found the man unresponsive in the roadway. The pedestrian, later identified as Schaaf, was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The driver of the sedan remained at the scene and spoke with the authorities. Police determined that the driver was not likely impaired at the time of the incident.
Authorities shut down all lanes of Beach Boulevard between Heil Avenue and Terry Drive for nearly three hours following the incident.
The wreck is currently under investigation by the Huntington Beach Police Department and anyone with information regarding the accident is asked to contact the department through (714) 536-5670.
Between 2021 and 2023, pedestrian crash counts in Huntington Beach showed modest year-to-year variation according to the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) data. In 2021, there were 52 pedestrians killed or injured in fatal and injury collisions, placing the city roughly mid-rank among similar California cities. In 2022, that count rose slightly to 57 pedestrian victims, and in 2023 it decreased to 55 victims, indicating relative stability without a clear upward or downward trend. Pedestrian victims under age 15 increased from 5 in 2021 to 7 in 2023, while older adult (65+) counts declined over the same period. Despite these small changes, pedestrian involvement remains a consistent component of Huntington Beach’s serious collision profile. Compared with broader trends in total serious crashes — which climbed from 924 victims in 2021 to 1,076 in 2023 — pedestrian counts did not rise proportionately, suggesting other crash types grew more rapidly. These figures illustrate a steady pattern of pedestrian risk within the city’s overall traffic safety environment.
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