Bakersfield, CA – In the early hours of Saturday, September 6, 2026, a pedestrian hit-and-run resulted in the death of Pablo Pizano Ortiz, 35, of Bakersfield, according to KGET.
The California Highway Patrol reports that the accident took place around 12:23 AM on southbound Fairfax Road south of Pictoria Drive, an area of east Bakersfield lined with residential streets and neighborhood roadways branching off the main corridor.
Authorities said Ortiz entered the roadway in front of a 2017 Toyota Camry traveling southbound. The Toyota struck him, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver abandoned the vehicle in the area of Franklin and Lynwood Avenues and fled on foot.
It is unknown whether drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash. Anyone with information is asked to contact CHP.
Bakersfield Hit-and-Run Accidents and Wrongful Death Claims
California law requires drivers involved in any collision to stop, render aid, and remain at the scene to cooperate with law enforcement. A driver who flees the scene of a fatal crash may face criminal prosecution in addition to civil liability, and may be considered to have committed negligence per se, increasing their share of liability in the collision.
Because the driver abandoned the vehicle rather than the vehicle itself fleeing the scene, registration records and any forensic evidence recovered from the car could play a key role in identifying the driver even before an arrest is made. Ortiz’s family may have the right to pursue a wrongful death claim, which can provide compensation for funeral expenses, loss of financial support, loss of consortium, and other damages related to the fatal accident.
Bakersfield Wrongful Death Lawyer
If you or someone you love was harmed in an accident like the one described here, on Fairfax Road south of Pictoria Drive, contact a California wrongful death lawyer for any questions or to receive a no-cost, no-obligation case assessment.
