BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — The Shafter Police Department debunked a rumor circulating on social media claiming that an off-duty Shafter police officer was involved in a traffic crash that involved alcohol Sunday evening. Police explained that the driver was not a law enforcement personnel and sustained minor injuries.
Shafter police said on February 8, 2026, at around 10:30 p.m., officers responded to a crash on Zerker Road, north of 7th Standard Road.
Police said, “A single-vehicle traffic collision did occur at that time and location; however, it did not involve a Shafter Police Department officer or any other law enforcement personnel, and alcohol was not a factor in the collision.”
Officers responded to the reported injury crash with emergency lights and sirens and found that the involved vehicle resting on its side along the edge of the Friant-Kern Canal. The vehicle did not become submerged in the canal. The vehicle’s sole occupant, identified as a 20-year-old man, sustained minor injuries.
The Kern County Fire Department responded to the scene and helped with the safe extrication of the occupant.
In a release, it said, “The Shafter Police Department remains committed to transparency with our citizens and the community.”
Anyone with additional information regarding this incident is asked to call the Shafter Police Department at (661) 746-8500.