BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — The Kern County Coroner’s Office has identified the driver killed after allegedly leading officers on a pursuit and crashing into Lake Isabella as 21-year-old Ashot Geboyan of Van Nuys.
The California Highway Patrol said on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at around 6:16 p.m., a CHP Bakersfield Area unit working within the Kern Valley area saw a traffic violation involving a white 2018 Land Rover and tried to initiate an enforcement stop near Scodie Avenue and Dunwood Street.
RELATED: Driver dies after CHP pursuit ends with Land Rover submerged in Lake Isabella
According to CHP, the driver of the white Land Rover, identified as Geboyan, failed to yield, and a pursuit ensued onto southbound Sierra Way.
CHP said a preliminary investigation found that the CHP unit continued to pursue the Land Rover on southbound Sierra Way. As the vehicle approached a curve in the roadway near Stine Cove at a high rate of speed, Geboyan failed to safely negotiate the curve, according to CHP.
CHP said at around 6:21 p.m., the Land Rover left the roadway, traveled airborne over a dirt embankment, and entered Lake Isabella. As a result of the crash, the Land Rover became completely submerged, and the driver did not emerge.
Emergency personnel responded and initiated a search and rescue operation. On Sunday, May 24, 2026, at around 2:51 a.m., the Land Rover was recovered from the lake.
Geboyan was found inside the vehicle and died.