BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The Kern County Coroner has identified a person, who's name has been withheld, who was involved in a collision on Poplar Avenue, north of 7th Standard Road in Shafter.
According to officials, the body was found on Saturday, January 12 just before 4 a.m., the vehicle burned and the decedent died at the scene.
Officials said that officers with CHP responded to the scene as well as Kern County Fire personnel. Upon extinguishing the fire, a body was located in the drivers seat and officials determined that it was a single vehicle traffic collision.
During the investigation, it was determined that a GMC pickup truck was traveling southbound on Poplar Avenue at an unknown speed and traveled off the west side of the roadway where they struck a dirt embankment. The GMC overturned at least once before coming to a rest and catching fire.
The driver sustained fatal injuries and a postmortem examination will be conducted to confirm the cause and manner of their death.
No further details are available at this time as the investigation is ongoing. It is unknown at this point if alcohol and or drugs were a factor in this collision.
Anyone with any further information regarding this collision is encouraged to call the CHP Bakersfield Area Office at (661) 396-6600.
