Bakersfield, CA – On the afternoon of Thursday, September 24, 2026, a hit-and-run resulting from a driver running a stop sign left a 5-year-old child critically injured, according to KGET.
The Bakersfield Police Department reports that the accident took place around 2:05 PM in the area of Tyree Toliver Avenue and Wilkins Street.
Authorities said a woman was driving westbound with her children inside the vehicle, preparing to turn southbound, when a truck carrying two occupants ran a southbound stop sign and broadsided her vehicle on the passenger side.
The child sustained critical but stable injuries and was airlifted to Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera. Police said the woman was not at fault, as there was no stop sign controlling her direction of travel on Wilkins Street.
Both occupants of the truck fled the scene. The passenger has since been taken into custody, but the driver remained at large as of Thursday evening.
Bakersfield Hit-and-Run Accidents and Personal Injury Claims
California law requires drivers to come to a complete stop at posted stop signs and yield the right of way to cross traffic before proceeding through an intersection, and also requires drivers involved in any collision to stop, render aid, and remain at the scene to cooperate with law enforcement. A driver who both runs a stop sign and flees the scene may be considered to have committed negligence per se, increasing his or her share of liability for the resulting injuries.
Because the truck’s passenger has already been taken into custody, information obtained from that individual could play an important role in identifying the driver and establishing the full circumstances of the crash, even before the driver is located. The child’s family may have the right to pursue a personal injury claim, which can provide compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other damages related to the accident.
Bakersfield Hit-and-Run Accident Lawyer
If you or someone you love was injured in an accident like the one described here, at Tyree Toliver Avenue and Wilkins Street, contact a California personal injury lawyer for any questions or to receive a no-cost, no-obligation case assessment.
