UPDATE (8 A.M.): New details have been released on the woman who was injured in a car crash involving Bakersfield police officers on Thurs, Jan 19.
The Chain, Cohn, and Clark law firm released a statement saying that the woman, Ana Hernandez, was getting a ride home from work at Grimmway Farms when the crash happened and that she is an innocent bystander. They went on to say in part, "as a law firm that has been involved in these types of cases in the past through our representation of other victims involved in tragic motor vehicle collisions with law enforcement, we can state unequivocally that incidents like this should never happen.”
A man was killed in the crash.
UPDATE (11:00 A.M.): The California Highway Patrol (CHP) has released a report following an investigation of a crash between a Honda Accord and a Bakersfield Police Department (BPD) patrol car that left one man dead and three others injured.
According to the CHP, a 2013 Honda Accord that was carrying two people was traveling westbound on Muller Road. At the same time, a 2016 Ford Taurus patrol car that was carrying two BPD officers was traveling southbound on South Vineland Road. The two met at an intersection and crashed, leaving both cars on the southwest corner of the intersection.
The CHP report noted that "the intersection of Muller Road and South Vineland Road is controlled by a stop sign for northbound and southbound traffic only."
The driver of the Honda Accord, 30, died at the scene of the crash. His passenger, identified as Ana Hernandez, 34, received major injuries and was taken to Kern Medical Center via helicopter. The two policemen, ages 23 & 24, were taken to a nearby hospital with moderate to major injuries.
As the CHP continues to investigate this crash, the intersection of Muller Road and South Vineland Road will be closed in all directions. It is not known when it will reopen.
This is an ongoing investigation.
UPDATE (10:05 A.M.): The Bakersfield Police Department (BPD) has released a statement regarding the crash that killed a man and injured three others, two of whom were Bakersfield Police officers.
"Our hearts go out to all affected by this tragic accident," said Bakersfield Police Chief Greg Terry. "Events like this result in a necessary examination of what happened and why. We will continue to fully cooperate with the California Highway Patrol for a complete and thorough investigation.”
According to the BPD, they are also conducting a critical incident investigation, as it is department policy.
This is an ongoing investigation.
UPDATE (6:45 A.M.): There is new information about a crash in Southeast Bakersfield that killed one man and involved multiple Bakersfield Police Department (BPD) officers on Thurs, Jan 19.
According to the BPD, the crash happened shortly before 2:23 a.m. at the intersection of Muller Road and South Vineland Drive. At 2:23 a.m., officers received a report from an orchard worker saying that a BPD patrol car was involved in an accident with a black Honda Accord. Upon arrival, first responders found a woman with moderate to major injuries, two BPD officers with moderate to major injuries, and a man who died at the scene. The woman and the officers were taken to a nearby hospital.
Before the collision, BPD officers were involved in a high-speed chase after a car was stolen in Central Bakersfield. According to the BPD, BPD officers had unsuccessfully tried to pull over a reportedly stolen tan GMC Sierra near the 3300 block of California Avenue at 2:08 a.m. The driver of the GMC, Michael Monte Stephens, 21, then lead officers in a chase on eastbound California Avenue to Edison Highway. Officers temporarily canceled the pursuit for "excessive speed" around 2:14 a.m.
The chase started again when patrolling BPD officers discovered Stephens in the same vehicle driving southbound on Weedpatch Highway near State Route 58 around 2:18 a.m. Stephens was involved in a single-car crash at 2:21 a.m. and was arrested and taken to a nearby hospital.
The California Highway Patrol is investigating the deadly crash.
This is an ongoing investigation. We will continue to update as we gather more information.
A multiple vehicle crash involving a Bakersfield Police officer has led to major injuries in southeast Bakersfield.
The collision happened just before 2:30 a.m. on Thursday at the intersection of Muller and S. Vineland Roads, according to the California Highway Patrol incident page.
Injuries are considered moderate to major for two vehicle rollovers with pin-ins.
Information is limited; we will continue to update this story as soon as we learn more.
