The incident was reported shortly after 7:04 a.m. March 20, south of Highway 58, west of Weedpatch Highway
Bakersfield, CA – Authorities are investigating an incident where a pedestrian was fatally hit by a train in Bakersfield last week on Friday.
The incident was reported shortly after 7:04 a.m. March 20, south of Highway 58, west of Weedpatch Highway.
Investigations reveal that a man was hit by a San Joaquin Valley Road train on the tracks. It’s unclear why the pedestrian was on the tracks.
Emergency responders transported the victim to Kern Medical, where he was declared deceased at 11:53 a.m. the same day.
The Kern County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as 35-year-old Oscar Martinez from Bakersfield.
No other injuries were reported in the incident. Authorities are conducting investigations to establish the circumstances of the accident.
According to the 2025 California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) Scorecard, pedestrian deaths decreased by 8.8%, falling from 1,213 in 2022 to 1,106 in 2023. Despite this improvement, pedestrians still account for approximately 25% of all traffic-related fatalities in California — a rate nearly 25% higher than the national average. Preliminary 2024 data shows this downward trend continuing, with a reported 12.9% reduction in pedestrian killings during the first half of the year.
The OTS identifies unsafe speed and alcohol impairment as the leading primary crash factors, with 29% of driver-involved fatalities involving a BAC of 0.08% or higher. Data highlights that 77% of fatal incidents occur after dark, and nearly 25% involve hit-and-run drivers.
Did you lose a loved one in this collision and have some legal questions you would like answered? A car accident lawyer can help you answer the questions.