BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The intersection of Harris Road and Summer Springs Drive saw a horrific crash that took the lives of three people on Thursday. Two of which, according to residents, were neighbors, a father and a mother, who left behind an only child.
The sounds of bustling intersections along Harris Road are common, and residents say so is the sight of ambulances and police sirens.
Coroner identifies 3 killed in high-speed Harris Rd crash
“Honestly I don’t know what more they need. I don’t know what are they waiting for,” said Evelyn Delgado, a neighbor in the area.
Neighbors were witness to a startling scene following the violent collision.
“It was terrible, it was horrible, one of the worst things I’ve ever seen. I don’t want to see nothing like that again,” said Ronnie Powell, a nearby resident.
At a four-way stop, with no median and two lane traffic going east and west, a mother and father were on the way to a corner store driving their silver Ford SUV, when, according to the Bakersfield Police Department, they were struck by a silver Toyota SUV going at a high rate of speed.
The driver of the Toyota was identified as Sandra Lee Slaydon. The mother was Siliva Reyes, and the father Omar Zacarias.
The couple’s only son was alerted by neighbors at his house that was around the corner from the crash, and rushed to the scene.
“We went to the second vehicle that’s when he seen his parents, they were both in there, everybody was trying to get to them. All the doors were stuck we couldn’t get them out,” said Rigoberto Valdivia, a neighbor.
The father, Omar Zacarias, took shallow breaths when they arrived, and the mother Cecilia, had already died. Their only son, forced to look on.
“He was in shock, he just couldn’t believe that it was his parents,” said Valdivia.
His neighbors, staying by his side until midnight.
“We stood here until the last car, which is his parents’ car, was taken from the street, and all he could do was sit there and have his tears in his face,” Delgado said.
In a split second, the life of a young man changed forever.
“Life is so precious and it goes by so quick and it’s just another reminder, and it’s so sad because, we don’t want this to happen again,” said Angela Bentello, a neighbor.
The area has had its share of deadly crashes. In 2018, the life of a 5-year old was taken just one street down from Summer Springs Drive.
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A community seeking change, but not finding it.
“We’re just asking the city for more help to get to get a light put up here, or some kind of caution light, something to show that they need to slow down they need to stop,” said Bentello.
The city of Bakersfield encourages the community to contact the City’s Traffic Engineering Division at 326-3724 to file complaints and create change.
“Something needs to happen here,” said Bentello.
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