A 55-year-old motorcyclist from Ridgecrest died after a crash involving his motorcycle and an SUV on Highway 178 at Pinto Street in the China Lake Acres area on the evening of September 13, 2026. The California Highway Patrol responded to the intersection at approximately 7:30 p.m., where the rider was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the SUV remained at the scene following the collision. The circumstances that led to the crash have not yet been determined, and the CHP is asking anyone who witnessed the collision to come forward.
According to KBAK/BakersfieldNow, the Kern County Coroner’s Office identified the motorcyclist as Christopher Daniel Bermudez of Ridgecrest. The outlet reported that Bermudez was riding a motorcycle that collided with a vehicle near the Highway 178 and Pinto Street intersection. A second outlet, Red White and Blue Press, reported that Bermudez was riding a Honda Shadow motorcycle that collided with a GMC Yukon SUV near a gas station along the highway, and that the SUV driver activated hazard lights and stayed at the scene while both vehicles were towed. No arrests or citations had been announced as of publication.
