BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) \u2014 A hit-and-run crash near midnight Sunday at Di Giorgio Road and May Street in Lamont killed 26-year-old Julio Figueroa, leaving his wife, Stacey, to raise their four children alone.<\/p>\n
Stacey Figueroa said her last conversation with her husband happened just minutes before the crash. She later learned of his death after a stranger found Julio’s phone on the side of the road and called her to return it. Her mother then showed her a video from the scene.<\/p>\n
“She showed me the video and you just see his body covered with a yellow tarp,” Stacey said.<\/p>\n
When her children returned from school Monday, she had to break the news to them. Her daughter’s words hit hardest.<\/p>\n
“Mom I tried giving him a hug but he said he was gonna come back but…daddy didn’t come back,” Stacey said.<\/p>\n
Stacey said she replays the moments leading up to the crash.<\/p>\n
“Sometimes I say what if I would’ve picked up what if he would’ve answered my calls or my text messages? He would be here with us right now,” she said.<\/p>\n
When asked what she would want to tell Julio if she could, Stacey said:<\/p>\n
“That I love him – and he always knew this – but that he meant the world to me.”<\/p>\n
What has made the loss even harder, Stacey said, is that the driver who struck Julio never stopped.<\/p>\n
“Come to find out that that person actually fled and just let him there on the ground…” she said.<\/p>\n
Stacey said she hopes the suspect turns himself in \u2014 for the sake of her children.<\/p>\n
She also raised concerns about the intersection itself, saying it has become increasingly dangerous.<\/p>\n
“It’s gotten more dangerous because constantly I see people swerving,” she said.<\/p>\n
Bakersfield California Highway Patrol is asking anyone with information about the crash to contact their office immediately. Officials also urge anyone who witnesses a crash scene to call 9-1-1, adding, “Do not assume someone else will call.”<\/p>\n
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.<\/p>\n
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