An unidentified pickup driver died at the scene Thursday afternoon after slamming into the back of a vehicle that had slowed for a crossing guard escorting children across a northeast Bakersfield street, police said. The crash happened just after 2 p.m. at the intersection of Columbus and Bucknell streets, in an area where kids were actively crossing at the time of impact.
According to the Bakersfield.com, the Bakersfield Police Department said the pickup was heading west when it struck the rear of a vehicle that had stopped for the crossing guard. The driver, who was alone in the truck, died from his or her injuries at the scene, and police have not released the driver's identity.
Investigators believe speed and intoxication played a role in the crash, the outlet reported. Despite the pickup striking a vehicle in an area where a crossing guard was actively shepherding children across the road, police said no one else was injured in the collision.
Police Seek Witnesses to Thursday's Crash
Bakersfield police are asking anyone with information about the collision to come forward. Tipsters can reach investigators at 661-327-7111, per the same report.
No further details about the make or model of the pickup have been released, nor has the identity of the driver of the struck vehicle been disclosed. The investigation into the crash remains active.
A Pattern of Pedestrian Danger in Bakersfield
Thursday's crash adds to a string of recent collisions involving pedestrians and vehicles around Bakersfield. In February 2025, a report from KERO highlighted pedestrian safety concerns after a crossing guard at Stiern Middle School was struck by a vehicle on Feb. 5, 2025. Earlier this year, a pedestrian died in east Bakersfield after a Ram pickup traveling eastbound struck her as she crossed in an unmarked crosswalk, according to Kuzz FM.
Other recent crashes point to the same hazards facing people on Bakersfield's streets. A 29-year-old Bakersfield man died after California Highway Patrol said he ran a stop sign and collided with a semi-truck's trailer at Bear Mountain Boulevard and Old River Road, and a 39-year-old man was arrested after an Olympia Drive hit-and-run killed a pedestrian, both according to reports from Bakersfield Now. A separate incident left a pedestrian hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after being struck while crossing at 24th and Oak streets, the station also reported.
