Preliminary investigations found that a 2024 Nissan Altima was traveling eastbound on Lerdo Highway when it collided with a Kern County Sheriff’s Office vehicle
Bakersfield, CA – A woman has died after being involved in a traffic collision with a Kern County Sheriff’s Office patrol car on Lerdo Highway in Bakersfield in March.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the incident was reported at around 1 p.m. March 22, at Magnolia Avenue.
Preliminary investigations found that a 2024 Nissan Altima was traveling eastbound on Lerdo Highway when it collided with a Kern County Sheriff’s Office vehicle.
According to CHP, the marked KCSO Ford Explorer patrol vehicle had entered the intersection while traveling south on Magnolia Avenue. Authorities reported that Magnolia Avenue is controlled by a two-way stop but Lerdo Highway has no stop.
Emergency personnel arrived shortly after and attended to the involved parties. The patients were then transported to Kern Medical with minor to major injuries.
One of the passengers in the Nissan, identified as Maria Cervantes Vasquez, 88, of Shafter, was confirmed deceased at the hospital on March 28.
There was no update on the condition of other hospitalized patients.
An investigation by the California Highway Patrol is currently ongoing and anyone with information regarding the crash is urged to contact 661-679-0300.
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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