A hit-and-run driver struck two people in east Bakersfield on Friday night, killing one at the scene and sending the other to a hospital, officials said. The collision was reported at Edison Highway and Fairfax Road, where westbound lanes were blocked off for emergency responders.
According to KGET 17 News, officials confirmed that one of the two people struck died at the scene, while the second victim was transported to a hospital. The crash location came from the CHP traffic incident page, which listed the intersection of Edison Highway and Fairfax Road as the site of the collision. No description of the suspect vehicle has been made available.
Second Hit-and-Run Reported Near Same Intersection
An earlier report from the station described a separate incident in which a pedestrian was reportedly struck by a car in a hit-and-run near the same Fairfax Road and Edison Highway area in southeast Bakersfield. That report said the crash was reported around 9:30 p.m., and that Hall Ambulance transported the victim to Kern Medical. It is not clear from available information whether that earlier incident and Friday's fatal crash are connected or represent two distinct events near the same corridor.
A Deadly Pattern Along Fairfax Road
Friday's crash follows another fatal hit-and-run in September. The California Highway Patrol said a pedestrian was struck on Fairfax Road at Paola Avenue around 12:23 a.m. on September 5 and died at the scene, as reported by BakersfieldNow. The Kern County Coroner's Office identified that victim as 35-year-old Pablo Pizano Ortiz of Bakersfield. CHP said the driver of a 2017 Toyota Camry struck Ortiz and fled, later abandoning the car at the northwest corner of Franklin Avenue and Lynwood Avenue. Investigators said at the time it was unknown whether alcohol or drugs played a role in that crash. The evidence does not establish any connection between the September crash and Friday's incident.
Pedestrian Collisions Climbing Citywide
The crashes add to a troubling tally for Bakersfield. Bakersfield Police Department data showed 768 pedestrian-related collisions citywide from 2022 through 2025, and the department's count for 2026 had already reached 137 collisions as of September 15, according to BakersfieldNow's report. Of those, 108 involved injuries, 15 were fatal, and 19 involved severe injuries, the outlet reported.
BPD's 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 recorded nine.
No further details about the suspect or vehicle involved in Friday's Edison Highway crash have been released.
