The rider was ejected and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Bakersfield, CA. – A motorcyclist was killed in a multi-vehicle collision on Saturday night in Bakersfield.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the fatal motorcycle accident happened on northbound lanes of Highway 99, near the Ming Avenue off-ramp at around 9:25 p.m.
Preliminary investigation indicates that a 36-year-old man driving a Chevrolet Tahoe crossed the line dividing the transition road and on-ramp lanes and struck a 39-year-old man riding a motorcycle northbound.
The rider was ejected and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police say impairment does not appear to be a factor in the crash.
An investigation into the accident is ongoing.
Bakersfield is seeing a notable divergence in its road safety data, characterized by declining fatalities but rising injury rates. According to 2024–2025 reports from the Bakersfield Police Department, fatal collisions dropped to 44 in 2024, a 36% decrease from the 69 deaths recorded in 2022. However, non-fatal injury crashes increased to 1,813, signaling that while accidents are less frequently deadly, they remain common and severe. A disproportionate 39% of fatal collisions occur late at night (9:00 PM to 3:00 AM), with pedestrians accounting for nearly 40% of all traffic deaths in the city.
The 2025–2026 Vision Zero Action Plan highlights that Bakersfield remains in the worst tier for under-21 DUI incidents, ranking 1st out of 15 similar-sized California cities.
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