A stolen vehicle crash on Highway 178 Sunday night left one juvenile dead and two others seriously injured, according to authorities. The incident occurred after the suspects allegedly led officers on a high-speed pursuit.
Bakersfield Police reported that around 5:17 p.m. on January 25, 2026, they located a vehicle reported stolen earlier that day from a parking lot near the Valley Plaza Target. Witnesses saw several juveniles near the vehicle as alarms sounded and then observed it being driven away at high speed.
The vehicle led police on a pursuit westbound and eastbound along 24th Street. When it reached eastbound Highway 178, the vehicle was traveling at unsafe speeds, and the pursuit was ended. Shortly afterward, the 2014 Hyundai Sonata struck a guardrail west of the Baker Street overpass, then collided with a concrete bridge abutment, overturned, and came to rest on the south shoulder of westbound Highway 178.
The California Highway Patrol reported that the driver and two passengers were ejected from the vehicle. Emergency responders transported all three to Kern Medical. One of the juveniles, the driver, was pronounced dead at the scene. One passenger suffered severe injuries, and another sustained moderate injuries.
It remains unclear whether drugs or alcohol contributed to the crash. Bakersfield Police are investigating the incident under their critical incident policy, and the two officers involved in the pursuit have been placed on routine paid administrative leave.
Authorities ask anyone with information about the stolen vehicle or the crash to contact Bakersfield Police at (661) 327-7111 or CHP Bakersfield at (661) 396-6600.