Bakersfield, CA – In the early hours of Sunday, August 16, 2026, a fiery wrong-way collision resulted in the deaths of a mother and her two daughters, and left the driver of the wrong-way vehicle, identified as Jamie Rodriguez, 44, of Tulare, hospitalized, according to KGET.
The mother and daughters who lost their lives in this collision have been identified as:
- Vanessa Wetmore, 41
- Kylie Wetmore, 20
- Kloie Wetmore, 16
The California Highway Patrol reports that the accident took place around 1:00 AM on southbound Highway 99 north of 7th Standard Road.
Authorities said Rodriguez was driving a 2019 BMW 530i the wrong direction on Highway 99 when he struck the Wetmores’ 2022 Honda Accord and a Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck. As a result of the impact, the Accord caught fire, and the Wetmores were unable to escape. Rodriguez remains hospitalized with major injuries as of Friday afternoon.
The Wetmores had been returning home from a concert in Fresno, where they celebrated Kloie’s upcoming 17th birthday, which would have been Thursday, August 20. Kloie was a softball player at Centennial High School heading into her senior year.
A GoFundMe campaign established by family friend Dale Schoettler is helping the family cover funeral expenses and support the Wetmores’ surviving 15-year-old son and brother, Seth. In an update posted Friday, Schoettler expressed gratitude for the community’s support, saying it would allow the family to honor Vanessa, Kloie, and Kylie as they deserved.
CHP has not released whether drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash, whether Rodriguez will face arrest, or what speed he was traveling, as those details remain under investigation.
Ongoing Investigations
Victims of traffic accidents and their families should be aware that authorities may fail to note or even misinterpret critical evidence at a crash site. One of the services that a Personal Injury Attorney can provide is to pursue follow-up investigations, which can reveal additional evidence to correct any errors made by previous investigators.
Kern County Car Accidents and Wrongful Death Claims
California law requires all drivers to maintain proper lane discipline and prohibits driving against the flow of traffic under any circumstances. When a wrong-way driver causes a fatal multi-vehicle collision, that driver may be considered to have committed negligence per se, increasing his share of liability for the resulting deaths.
Regardless of the findings, the Wetmore family may have the right to pursue a wrongful death claim. A wrongful death claim can provide the family with compensation for funeral expenses, loss of financial support, loss of consortium, and other damages related to the fatal accident.
Kern County Wrongful Death Lawyer
If you or someone you love was harmed in an accident like the one described here, on Highway 99 north of 7th Standard Road, contact a California wrongful death lawyer for any questions or to receive a no-cost, no-obligation case assessment.
