An intersection in northwest Bakersfield has been one of the deadliest for Bakersfield CHP this year.
Five people have died on or near the stretch of road near Nord Avenue and Rosedale Highway are the cross streets of two deadly crashes in the past three weeks.
The CHP says on Saturday night, three cars were driving eastbound on Rosedale Highway and they were struck by a car that was driving westbound. The driver of the single car side-swiped the first two, then hit the third car head-on, killing the driver.
The CHP says there have been 45 deadly crashes in their jurisdiction to date.
“We want to continue to reduce those (fatalities), and we can’t do it alone. We need the public’s help. With that we are asking the public to just do what you are supposed to do while driving and hopefully we can work together and get our fatality rate down,” said Robert Rodriguez, Bakersfield CHP PIO.
Two of those deadly accidents were the on the stretch of Rosedale highway near Nord Avenue which only has two stop signs cautioning drivers of vehicles driving on Rosedale Highway.
“Just like any roadway in the outlying areas of Kern County, there are no street lights out there so motorists have to rely on their headlights,” said Rodriguez.
The CHP cautions drivers to be safe on the two-way roads in Kern County.
“We want you to be alert out there, put away any distractions, make sure your seatbelts are fastened make sure that you are driving sober as well, especially on the two-way roadways because they can be pretty deadly,” said Rodriguez.
Supervisor David Couch said:
“My thoughts and prayers go out to all involved in the recent traffic accident on State Route 58 east of Nord Avenue, as well as those involved in an accident at this intersection a few weeks ago. In response to these tragic events, my office and the Kern County Public Works Department have requested from Caltrans the accident history of this intersection and nearby area along State Route 58. We have also requested that Caltrans examine existing traffic mitigation measures and study if additional measures are warranted. This could include restriping the stop bar, upgrading the stop ahead sign, and installing additional traffic measures to alert motorists and pedestrians to the intersection. Caltrans is the responsible agency on State Route 58 and along Nord Avenue 30 feet from the center point of this intersection. The County of Kern will continue to work with Caltrans to encourage traffic safety. I urge all motorists and pedestrians to approach this area with caution and to stay alert." -Supervisor David Couch
