The Kern County Coroner's Office has identified the man killed earlier this month after being struck by a vehicle on Brundage Lane in Bakersfield as 79-year-old Robert Henry. Police say he was crossing in a marked crosswalk against a red light near South P Street when a westbound car hit him, and that the driver initially fled before being tracked down and arrested about half an hour later.
Coroner Confirms Victim's Identity
The coroner's office identified Henry as the pedestrian who died after the crash, according to BakersfieldNow. The collision happened on Oct. 9 in the 900 block of Brundage Lane, and Bakersfield police officers were called to the scene after a vehicle struck a pedestrian there, per the station's reporting. Officers reportedly found Henry in the roadway with severe injuries, and medical aid personnel transported him to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
The crash was reported in that area of Brundage Lane at around 10:20 p.m., according to KGET. A preliminary police investigation found that Henry was crossing the street in a crosswalk but against a red light at South P Street when he was hit by a vehicle traveling west, the station reports. Police identified the driver as 29-year-old Patience Ervin, who was heading westbound on Brundage Lane through a green light when the crash happened.
Driver Fled, Then Arrested Half an Hour Later
Ervin left the scene after the crash, but officers located and took her into custody about 30 minutes later, the same outlet's report notes. She was booked into Kern County jail on suspicion of hit-and-run resulting in death. A separate KGET report states that a judge later ordered her held without bail in the case, which involved what police described as a deadly hit-and-run crash on Brundage Lane.
Police said speed and impairment were not factors in the crash, according to the station's reporting. Bakersfield police have asked anyone with information about the case to call (661) 327-7111.
A Persistent Problem on Bakersfield Streets
Henry's death adds to a troubling tally for the city. As of Sept. 15, Bakersfield police had reported 137 pedestrian-related collisions for the year, including 108 involving injuries, 15 fatal collisions and 19 involving severe injuries, according to data reported by BakersfieldNow. From 2022 through 2025, the department recorded 768 pedestrian-related collisions citywide, with 590 reported injuries, 96 fatal injuries and 93 severe injuries.
That same year-to-date data identified Union Avenue as the corridor with the most pedestrian-related collisions, with 15, while Chester Avenue and Ming Avenue each had nine. Friday emerged as the most common day for these crashes, and the most common time window fell between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. — not far off from when Henry was struck on Brundage Lane.
Other recent crashes underscore the pattern. A pedestrian was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after being struck while crossing in a crosswalk at 24th and Oak streets in Bakersfield, and 66-year-old Teresa Darlene Lilly of Bakersfield was identified after being fatally struck on Rosedale Highway, both according to separate BakersfieldNow reports.
