BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — Driving under the influence is a problem we know all too well here in Kern County.
A survey by LendingTree this year ranked Bakersfield with the 8th highest DUI rate among the 50 largest cities in the nation. Sadly, 2025 reinforced those findings with a large number of deadly and destructive crashes.
A series of alleged DUI crashes have left a trail of destruction and heartbreak in Bakersfield, with multiple lives lost and families shattered.
In east Bakersfield, a car crash on the 1900 block of Gage Street left Madison LeeAnn Desrochers traumatized after a vehicle driven by 22-year-old Thomas David Gonzales Jr. lost control of his car and crashed into her home. “All my clothes were covered in debris. The firefighters had told that its all damaged,” Desrochers said. “Everything is destroyed.” Gonzales was arrested for felony DUI causing injury and felony hit and run.
Still image from security video shows the moments before a driver crashes a car into a home in the{ }1900 block of Gage Street on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (Courtesy: KNN.News)
In another tragic incident, Max and Desiree Mooney were killed on the weekend of St. Patrick’s Day at the intersection of Coffee Road and Stockdale Highway. The couple was in an Uber when they were struck by a car driven by 21-year-old Annabel Correa, who now faces charges including two counts of second-degree murder.
Two people died after they were hit by a suspected DUI driver on Stockdale Highway. PHOTO: KBAK/KBFX
Chasie Carino, a 23-year-old from Delano, was killed in a suspected DUI crash at Panama Lane and Stine Road. Her cousin Mateo said, “It seemed like she had her entire future planned out and then this happened.” During the investigation of the crash, two additional drivers were arrested for DUI after going pass the barricades at the scene.
The Kern County Coroner’s Office has identified the woman killed in a suspected DUI crash in southwest Bakersfield as 23-year-old Chasie Aquino Carino of Delano.{ }CREDIT: KeyNews.TV, GoFundMe
The community also mourns the loss of 6-year-old Azmeret Mayall and 8-year-old Xxavien Hernandez, both victims of alleged DUI crashes. Azmeret died after a sedan rear-ended her family’s SUV, while Xxavien was struck by a suspected drunk driver while at a food truck with his father.
A 6-year-old child died a day after a suspected DUI crash in southeast Bakersfield Sunday morning. The suspected DUI driver, 20-year-old Cesar Magana, was arrested. PHOTO: RD on the Scene, GoFundMe
CREDIT: KBAK/KBFX, GoFundMe
Court documents reveal that the suspect in the crash , 33-year-old Andres Serna, had a blood alcohol content of 0.353%, more than four times the legal limit and two prior DUI.
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The community continues to grapple with the devastating impact of these tragedies, urging drivers to avoid drinking and driving.