BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — The Kern County Coroner’s Office has identified the motorcyclist killed after a solo-vehicle crash in southeast Bakersfield as 29-year-old Paul Anthony De Leon Jr. of Bakersfield.
RELATED: BPD: Speed suspected in fatal solo-motorcycle crash on Mount Vernon Avenue
The Bakersfield Police Department said on March 8, 2026, at around 8:25 a.m., officers were called to the intersection of South Mount Vernon Avenue and East Planz Road regarding a solo-motorcycle crash.
Police said the motorcyclist, identified as De Leon Jr., died.
Bakersfield police said a preliminary investigation found that the motorcyclist was traveling south on Mount Vernon Avenue when he failed to negotiate a curve in the roadway, and the crash happened.
Police said speed is believed to be a factor in the crash. Bakersfield police said at the time, it is not known whether impairment may also have been a factor, according to police.
The coroner’s report said De Leon Jr. lost control and collided with a guard gate.
A GoFundMe was made for De Leon Jr. It said, “He was a loving father to his 4-year-old son Xavier, a brother, a son, and a cherished friend to many. Paul’s absence is felt every day by his family and all who loved him.”