A pedestrian suffered severe injuries after being struck by a pickup truck on southbound Highway 99 near Panama Lane in Bakersfield on the evening of Monday, September 21, 2026. The California Highway Patrol responded around 6:30 p.m. and found the man lying between lanes two and three of the freeway. He was transported to Kern Medical with severe injuries. The driver of the Toyota pickup truck remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators, and impairment is not believed to have been a factor for the driver.
According to Bakersfield Now (KBAK/KBFX), CHP investigators had not yet determined which lane or speed the truck was traveling in, or which direction the pedestrian was walking at the time of impact. Lanes two, three and four of southbound Highway 99 were blocked around 6:45 p.m. while officers investigated, according to KGET, which cited the CHP Traffic Incident Information Page. It remains unknown whether alcohol or drugs were a factor for the pedestrian. The pedestrian has not been publicly identified, and the investigation into how the crash occurred remains active.
