A pedestrian is dead and a 39-year-old man is behind bars after a hit-and-run crash Sunday in southwest Bakersfield left the victim lying in the roadway near Olympia and Gallup drives. Police say the driver fled the scene before officers tracked him down at his own home.
Officers were called shortly after noon to the 7500 block of Olympia Drive, where they found a man down in the roadway and a damaged vehicle parked on the south shoulder, according to KGET 17 News. The parked vehicle showed damage consistent with being sideswiped, and investigators believe the pedestrian was entering or exiting that vehicle at the moment of impact, the station reports.
Police say a black Dodge Challenger veered out of its lane while heading east and struck both the pedestrian and the sideswiped vehicle before continuing on. The Challenger was later found abandoned in a nearby neighborhood, per the same report. The injured pedestrian was rushed to a hospital, where he or she was pronounced dead; police have not released the victim's name.
Driver Identified, Taken Into Custody at Home
Investigators identified the Dodge's driver as Calvin Dominique Dugan Jr., 39, and say he was taken into custody at his home following the crash. Police said Sunday afternoon that Dugan remains in custody and is due in court Tuesday afternoon, the station's report notes. Officers believe Dugan was impaired by drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash, though no test results have been disclosed.
What Comes Next
California law makes it a crime to flee the scene of a crash involving death or injury without stopping to identify oneself and render aid, under Vehicle Code 20001. It was not immediately clear from available reporting what specific charges prosecutors may file against Dugan or how his case will proceed in court.
Bakersfield police are asking anyone with information about the crash to call 661-327-7111. The identity of the pedestrian killed in the collision has not yet been made public.
