Driver Charged With Hit-and-Run in Fatal Pedestrian Crash on S. Union Ave, Bakersfield
A 34-year-old Bakersfield woman, identified by police as Crystal Louise Spores, was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver while crossing South Union Avenue outside a marked crosswalk on the night of September 6, 2026. The crash happened around 7:31 p.m. in the 2500 block of South Union Avenue when a northbound vehicle, later identified as a white Ford pickup, struck Spores and kept going without stopping. Investigators used video footage to trace the truck to a residence in the 3600 block of Cottonwood Road, where they arrested 36-year-old Guadalupe Garcia Hernandez. Hernandez has been charged with hit-and-run causing death and remains in the Kern County court system as the case moves forward.
According to BakersfieldNow, Hernandez admitted to officers that he was the driver and sole occupant of the truck at the time of the crash. The outlet also reported that Hernandez faces additional traffic infractions, including driving without a valid license and without proof of insurance or registration. Bakersfield police have not indicated whether any road closures followed the crash, and the investigation into the incident remains active. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Bakersfield Police Department.
Driver arrested after South Union hit-and-run crash kills woman
Where It Happened
South Union Avenue near the 2500 block, in south-central Bakersfield, Kern County
What the Law Says
California Vehicle Code 20001 makes it a crime for any driver involved in a crash that causes injury or death to leave the scene without stopping, exchanging information, and rendering reasonable aid. A hit-and-run causing death is chargeable as a felony, with penalties that can include state prison time and a lengthy license revocation. Prosecutors in fatal pedestrian hit-and-run cases like this one often rely on this statute to establish the driver’s legal duty to remain at the scene.
California Vehicle Code 21954 states that a pedestrian crossing a roadway outside a marked or unmarked crosswalk must yield the right-of-way to approaching vehicles. The same statute, however, requires every driver to exercise due care for the safety of any pedestrian on the roadway, regardless of whether that pedestrian has the right-of-way. This duty of care can matter in determining fault and potential civil liability even when a pedestrian was not in a crosswalk at the time of a crash.
This summary is general information, not legal advice. Every case depends on its specific facts.
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