UPDATE (2:26 P.M.): More information has been released regarding a crash involving two cars that left two dead in the Kern Canyon on Fri, Dec 30. The canyon has since been reopened.
According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the crash took place east of Powerhouse #1 shortly before 9:22 a.m. An investigation revealed that a 64-year-old woman from Weldon and her passenger, a 66-year-old man from Lake Isabella, were driving a 2004 Toyota Corolla westbound on Highway 178 when the driver failed to safely turn in a curved area of the canyon and swerved into the opposite lane. At the same time, John Rodrigues, 48, of Bakersfield was driving a 2010 Ford F-150 in the eastbound lane. He was unable to avoid the Toyota and both cars crashed, resulting in the death of both Toyota passengers.
Alcohol and drugs do not appear to be factors in this crash. This is an ongoing investigation.
The Kern Canyon on State Route 178 is closed following a crash that has killed at least one person.
The crash took place approximately halfway through the canyon around 9:21 a.m. The vehicles involved were a grey sedan and a yellow truck, according to the California Highway Patrol's (CHP) website.
The CHP also made a tweet about the incident, including a map.
KERN COUNTY: State Route 178 is currently CLOSED through the Kern Canyon due to a multi-vehicle collision. No ETO at this time. pic.twitter.com/FOLWHNkueO
— Caltrans District 6 (@CaltransDist6) December 30, 2022
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
