BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK/KBFX) — A deadly three-car crash at a four-way stop in Bakersfield has renewed neighbors’ calls for added traffic safety along Harris Road.
The crash happened at the intersection of Harris Road and Summer Springs Drive, where residents say drivers often speed up to the stop sign. Evelyn Delgado said the neighborhood has long dealt with serious collisions at the intersection.
“There’s always multiple crashes. There’s accidents. There’s people who die. Unfortunately, our neighbors have to experience that now. And we still don’t get no answers on what they can do for us to better our four-way stop,” Delgado said.
Delgado spoke the day after three people were killed in the crash. Two of the victims were longtime neighbors known in the neighborhood as Omar and Silvia Zacarias.
Police said the Ford the Zacariases were in was rear-ended by a Toyota at a high speed, causing a secondary impact into a Honda traveling eastbound at the intersection of Summer Springs Drive. A woman, identified as Sandra Lee Slaydon, in the Toyota later died at a nearby hospital. Two men in the Honda were hurt.
A large portion of grass was taken out after the crash on Thursday night. (Steve Virgen, KBAK/KBFX)
Delgado said her husband called her outside moments after the crash when he recognized the victims as their neighbors. She said they knocked next door to tell the couple’s son, Eric.
“Oh, my God. What do I do? All I could do was just hug him. Pray over him that everything would be OK. But, as time passed by, nothing was OK,” Delgado said.
Delgado said she has lived in the neighborhood for 15 years and, over the past five years, recalls at least 10 crashes along that stretch of Harris Road.
Neighbors near the intersection said they want a signal installed there or warning signs placed before the stop signs.
“I would just like the city to do something about this. We just need to all pull forward, have the community, the school, everybody, because we don’t want this to happen again. This is enough,” said Angela, who was not further identified.
Bakersfield City Councilman Zack Bashirtash said he has asked for a traffic study.
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“I actually sent a request to the City Manager this morning asking for a traffic study to be done in that area. Once that is completed, we will add extra safety measures as needed,” Bashirtash said in a statement.
Delgado said Eric is not speaking to the media, but shared a message she said he wanted others to hear: “Sometimes you gotta hug your parents every day. Give them a kiss. Tell them you love them because you don’t know if you will wake up the next day or if they’ll even come home.”
Bakersfield police said Harris Road has seen 16 deadly or major injury crashes in the past five years, with a total of nine people killed, including the three from last night.