BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK/KBFX) — A 36-year-old man from Santa Maria, Calif., Felipe Matamoros Lopez, was identified as the pedestrian who was fatally struck by a truck-trailer on Highway 166, south of Maricopa, on Monday.
According to the Kern County coroner, Lopez was struck on Dec. 15, 2025, by a vehicle at approximately 4:19 p.m. and died at the scene.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) said that Lopez, driving a Honda Civic with four passengers, had stopped on the westbound shoulder of Highway 166 after hitting a curb and embankment. As he attempted to re-enter the vehicle, he was struck by a truck-trailer combination traveling westbound.
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The truck driver was unharmed, and no passengers in the Honda were injured.
CHP stated that alcohol was not suspected to be a factor in the crash.
A GoFundMe was created for Matamoros Lopez. The GoFundMe said, “My uncle, his wife, brother, and sister were returning home to Santa Maria after working in the orange groves in Maricopa. Two vehicles ahead of them suddenly stopped. To avoid a collision, my uncle swerved his car off the highway. When he exited his vehicle to inspect his wheels, he was struck by a semi-truck. The truck then reversed, running over his abdomen. He died at the scene. Our uncle leaves behind his 2 children and his wife.”
A 36-year-old man from Santa Maria, Calif., Felipe Matamoros Lopez, was identified as the pedestrian who was fatally struck by a truck-trailer on Highway 166, south of Maricopa, on Monday. PHOTO: GoFundMe
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The GoFundMe said the funds will be used to pay for funeral and burial costs as well as returning his body to Tierra Colorada, Oaxaca in Mexico.