FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Woman Killed in Head-on, Wrong-Way Collision on Highway 58; Authorities Plead for Witnesses
BAKERSFIELD, Calif., June 19, 2025 – Authorities are actively seeking public assistance in the investigation of a fatal wrong-way crash that claimed the life of a woman on Highway 58 late Tuesday evening. The catastrophic head-on collision occurred in the eastbound lanes, prompting a full closure of the highway and a significant emergency response.
The incident took place at approximately 10:15 p.m. on Tuesday, June 18, 2025, on a stretch of Highway 58 just west of the Kramer Junction. According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) Bakersfield office, a sedan, for reasons still under investigation, was traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes when it collided with an oncoming vehicle.
The driver of the vehicle that was struck, a woman whose identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin, was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical personnel. The driver of the wrong-way vehicle sustained major injuries and was airlifted to a regional trauma center. Their current condition has not been released.
The impact of the collision left a devastating scene, with debris scattered across the highway. All eastbound lanes of Highway 58 were closed for several hours as the CHP’s Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) processed the scene. Traffic was diverted, causing significant delays for motorists traveling through the area.
Investigators are working to determine how the driver entered the highway traveling in the wrong direction and whether impairment was a factor in the crash.
The California Highway Patrol is urging anyone who may have witnessed the collision, or who may have seen the wrong-way vehicle prior to the crash, to come forward. Investigators are particularly interested in any dashcam footage that may have captured the events leading up to the fatal incident.
“Any piece of information, no matter how small it may seem, could be crucial to understanding the full circumstances of this tragic event,” said CHP Officer Rodriguez. “We are appealing to the public to help us provide answers to the victim’s family.”
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the CHP Bakersfield office at (661) 396-6600.
