Cal State Long Beach student Christopher James Northy was killed in a car crash early Sunday morning after returning home from a pick-up hockey game at the East West Ice Palace in Artesia. He was 25.

According to CHP Officer Pete Kim, the single car accident took place on the interchange of the 91 West to the 710 South freeways. Northy was alone in the car.

"It's unknown why he was unable to negotiate the turn, and it is an ongoing investigation," Kim said.

Northy, from Monterey Park, Calif., was an economics major and a member of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. He was also a member of the Long Beach State Ice Hockey team from 1999 to 2006.

According to Northy's MySpace profile, his interests included video games, music, bartending, surfing and playing all kinds of sports.

In Northy's "About Me" section, he wrote that had just finished his last season of ice hockey by dislocating his shoulder and then returning again only to break his leg and dislocate his ankle. "It was a good season," Northy wrote. "I have a steel plate and six screws to remember it by."

"He was the most modest and happiest guy," said Long Beach State Ice Hockey head coach John Cacciatore. "His nickname was smiles or giggles. It didn't matter when it was, he was always smiling."

Gene Schneider, Northy's former teammate and longtime friend, was the last known person to see Northy. The two were going home after playing a pick-up hockey game late Saturday night. Northy was traveling slightly behind him.

When Schneider got home, he said he realized Northy did not come to his home as expected. Schneider figured he had car trouble or was already on the phone. He decided to call Northy, but he didn't pick up. Schneider became worried.

Schneider decided to drive back on the freeway, where he saw the scene of the accident and eventually realized his friend had died.

"Anybody who knew Chris knew he was an extremely nice and happy guy," Schneider said. "He was impossible to upset. Everybody always remembered his smile because he always wore it."

Phillip Goodman, a senior journalism and English major who is charge of media relations for the club ice hockey team, and who worked with Northy at GameWorks, said, "With Chris, everything was a smile."

Several players went to the crash site and marked the spot with a cross made out of a hockey stick on Sunday night. Later, friends and players gathered together, where honorary team dad Jerry Mitchell led the attendees in an emotional prayer.

Northy began attending CSULB in 1999 after graduating from Bishop Amat Memorial High School in La Puente, Calif.

"This is a terrible tragedy for our campus family.We are working with the family to see what we can do in honor of Chris. My heart goes out to his family and our wonderful 49er hockey team," said CSULB President F. King Alexander via e-mail.

"We're saddened every time we receive notification when one of our students passes [away]," said Doug Robinson, vice president of Student Services. "It bothers me because these are young people that haven't had the chance to experience everything that life has to offer."

The Long Beach State Ice Hockey Team's MySpace profile has posted a memorial picture of Northy and opened up a discussion, titled "Chris Northy: Gone But Not Forgotten."

Information regarding Northy's family has been asked not to be released.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. at Eternal Valley Memorial Park & Mortuary in Santa Clarita, Calif.