Pedestrian fatally struck in Bakersfield police pursuit, two men arrested

A man was killed early Saturday in Bakersfield after a fleeing vehicle lost control avoiding spike strips and hit him on Airport Drive. Two suspects were arrested.

Oildale chase ends in pedestrian's death on Airport Drive

A pedestrian was struck and killed in Bakersfield, California, in the early hours of Saturday, 5 September 2026, after a vehicle fleeing police lost control while attempting to avoid spike strips, bakersfieldnow.com reports.

Officers from the Bakersfield Police Department's Special Enforcement Unit (SEU) were attempting to locate a wanted suspect, 21-year-old Isaiah Andrade, at around 1:30 am. Andrade carried an active Ramey warrant for firearm possession and gang-related charges, and police believed he was still armed at the time.

Officers spotted Andrade near Clover Mountain Court and Pine Meadow Drive in Oildale. When they moved to detain him, he entered the passenger side of a vehicle driven by 20-year-old Gabriel Lopez and fled.

SEU officers pursued the vehicle as Lopez drove at high speed heading south on Airport Drive. At the intersection of Airport Drive and Olive Drive, officers deployed spike strips as an intervention measure. The vehicle swerved to avoid the strips, lost control, and struck a man standing on the west sidewalk. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene.

Both Lopez and Andrade fled on foot after the crash but were quickly taken into custody by SEU officers following a minor use of force. The two were transported to hospital for medical clearance before being booked on charges including firearms possession, gang activity, and felony evading. Andrade also faces booking on his existing arrest warrant.

The California Highway Patrol is leading the traffic collision investigation. The BPD is conducting a parallel criminal investigation. Charges specifically related to the crash and the pedestrian's death will be determined by the CHP upon conclusion of their inquiry.

BPD is treating the incident as a critical incident and has opened an administrative investigation into its own officers' conduct.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Bakersfield Police Department at (661) 327-7111.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)