Fatal Car accident Bakersfield Today Bakersfield, California — A deadly car accident unfolded in Bakersfield on Sunday evening, January 25, 2026, following a high-speed pursuit involving a stolen vehicle, leaving one juvenile dead and two others hospitalized, according to authorities.
At approximately 5:00 p.m., the Bakersfield Police Department was following a stolen red Hyundai sedan reported under a 10851 vehicle theft as it moved through the downtown Bakersfield area. The vehicle was occupied by an adult male driver, an unknown adult passenger, and a juvenile seated in the back.
Police report that the Hyundai accelerated to speeds exceeding 90 miles per hour eastbound on Highway 178. The vehicle lost control and struck a guardrail, launching over the center median and crashing into westbound traffic in a violent collision.
All three occupants were ejected from the vehicle due to the force of the crash.
The adult male driver was conscious after the collision, able to get up on his own, and was taken into custody at the scene by Bakersfield police. The juvenile passenger was found unresponsive, prompting immediate life-saving efforts, including CPR at the scene, before being transported by Hall Ambulance. The juvenile later succumbed to injuries, authorities confirmed.
The second adult passenger was also found unresponsive, received CPR, and was transported by Hall Ambulance to a local hospital. That individual’s condition has not yet been released.
Both the Bakersfield Police Department and the California Highway Patrol are jointly investigating the crash, including the circumstances surrounding the pursuit, speed, and sequence of events leading up to the collision.
The identities of those involved have not been released pending notification of next of kin.
This is a developing investigation, and authorities are expected to provide additional details as the case progresses.
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