A man in his 20s has died in Vancouver's second fatal crash of the year.

Police said the 21-year-old lost control of a white Mercedes sedan shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday. The man, who lived on the University of British Columbia campus but was not a student, was heading eastbound on West 16th Avenue at Discovery Street when the car2go vehicle left the roadway.

The vehicle crashed into a tree, and the driver died at the scene. He has not been publicly identified.

Police closed West 16th between Trimble and Courtenay streets as they investigated what happened. The smashed sedan could be seen upside down on the side of the road for hours after the crash as crews examined the scene. It was later towed away.

On Monday, investigators were still at the scene of the crash, and debris could be seen scattered through the area.

Some parts of the wreckage landed as far as 50 metres from where the vehicle came to a stop, and even the engine was launched from the car.

Officers believe speed was a factor in the crash, something residents say is common in the area.

"It was just a matter of time," one person told CTV News.

"There's speed traps set up here all the time. This is one of the areas (where) everyone knows to slow down because right around the school they're set up there," another said.

A third resident of the area said locals are trying to convince the City of Vancouver to put in speed bumps near the schools.

Police said they're aware that the stretch of road can be dangerous, and said they'll be working with residents and those driving through the area to warn them to slow down.

A spokesperson for the car-share company said car2go was aware of the incident and "very saddened" by the man's death.

"car2go is co-operating with the police investigation as they seek to determine the cause of this crash," Mike Silverman said.

The company said it works with all parties involved in collisions, including authorities.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation, and police ask witnesses to contact them at 604-717-3012.

"We are asking people, if they do have information or had seen the vehicle driving in this area, to give us a call just so we can piece this together," Const. Jason Doucette said.

With a report from CTV Vancouver's Breanna Karstens-Smith and Julie Nolin