EDMONTON -- A 51-year-old man is dead after he crashed his SUV in south Edmonton Monday morning, the Edmonton Police Service said.

The man lost control of his Hyundai Santa Fe, drove onto the median and hit a sign standard on the westbound lanes of 34 Avenue, just east of Gateway Boulevard, at 10:55 a.m., police said.

Firefighters took him out of the vehicle and paramedics drove him to hospital with critical injuries, EPS said.

He died in hospital.

Speed is believed to be a factor for the crash, police said.

The area reopened to traffic shortly before 4 p.m.