BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — 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.
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.
"She showed me the video and you just see his body covered with a yellow tarp," Stacey said.
When her children returned from school Monday, she had to break the news to them. Her daughter's words hit hardest.
"Mom I tried giving him a hug but he said he was gonna come back but...daddy didn't come back," Stacey said.
Stacey said she replays the moments leading up to the crash.
"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.
When asked what she would want to tell Julio if she could, Stacey said:
"That I love him - and he always knew this - but that he meant the world to me."
What has made the loss even harder, Stacey said, is that the driver who struck Julio never stopped.
"Come to find out that that person actually fled and just let him there on the ground..." she said.
Stacey said she hopes the suspect turns himself in — for the sake of her children.
She also raised concerns about the intersection itself, saying it has become increasingly dangerous.
"It's gotten more dangerous because constantly I see people swerving," she said.
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."
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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