BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A 17-year-old boy is recovering at home after suffering severe injuries in a hit-and-run crash on Planz Road, as Bakersfield Police Department investigators search for the driver.
On April 15 at around 10 p.m., surveillance video showed Isaiah Jeffers riding his electric bike near South Chester when a car hit him and fled the scene. Jeffers suffered severe injuries and celebrated his 17th birthday while recovering in the hospital. The family tells me he is now home, continuing his recovery, but they say it will be a long road ahead.
Investigators are prioritizing identifying the suspect and the vehicle. They canvassed the area for surveillance video, but are working with limited leads.
"We have a vague description of a vehicle, unfortunately, which is a dark-colored Dodge Charger or Challenger. We have been going through those and trying to narrow down potential leads. But it is somewhat overwhelming, just due to the limited resources we have here available. So we do need help from the community," Sgt. Caleb Kiser said.
Kiser said investigators looked into a nearby gas station the family had questions about, but they found no sign of the suspect vehicle there. However, surveillance video from that location and other nearby businesses helped police piece together the vehicle’s path.
"Additionally, we do have footage from that vehicle down that road. So we do have a course that the vehicle did follow. A path that we have backtracked using surveillance footage," Kiser said.
Kiser said cases like this rely heavily on community partnership, especially when video evidence is limited. So far this month, the Bakersfield Police Department has investigated more than 250 traffic collisions, with more than 60 of those being hit-and-runs.
"I would say, of the 60 hit-and-runs, about half of them have involved injuries. Just by simply fleeing the scene, they are increasing their potential criminal consequences from a ticket to prison time," Kiser said.
Investigators say the driver should turn themselves in, which could lessen the potential consequences. Anyone with information about the case should contact the Bakersfield Police Department's Traffic Division at (661)326-3896.
"Unfortunately, that child struck on Planz is never going to be the same. That is hard on us. But we do have a great community here. I’m confident that at some point this driver will be identified and they will be held accountable," Kiser said.
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.
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