Kern County, CA — April 26, 2025, Abram Perez was killed and another person was injured in a truck accident at about 3:45 a.m. on State Route 58.
Authorities said a 2002 Mazda pickup was heading east when it crashed into the back of a semi-truck that was going up a hill near Bena Road.
A passenger in the pickup, Abram Perez, 18, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, while the driver was hospitalized with moderate injuries, according to authorities. Their names have not been made public at this time.
No other injuries were reported.
Authorities have not released any additional information about the crash east of Bakersfield. The accident is still under investigation.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When a passenger vehicle crashes into the back of a semi-truck at 3:45 in the morning on a highway grade, the investigation must begin with why the slower-moving truck was not avoided, and whether it was sufficiently visible for approaching drivers. In this case on State Route 58, the collision cost a passenger their life and left the driver of the Mazda pickup hospitalized. The outcome is devastating, but the cause may come down to visibility, speed and awareness on both sides.
Trucks climbing hills tend to slow down significantly, sometimes well below posted speed limits. Because of that, federal regulations require trucks to use proper lighting and reflective markings to ensure they’re visible in low-light conditions. At 3:45 a.m., visibility is poor, and any issue with tail lights, side markers or conspicuity tape could make it difficult for an approaching driver to recognize how slowly the truck is moving, until it’s too late.
Investigators will need to examine whether the semi-truck’s lighting systems were fully functional and whether its reflective markings met federal standards. They should also consider whether road curvature, elevation changes or environmental factors like fog or darkness affected the Mazda driver’s ability to react in time.
This crash shows how quickly things can go wrong when visibility and speed are not managed carefully, especially in the dark, when a difference of just a few seconds can mean the difference between a safe stop and a fatal impact. The investigation needs to determine whether the truck was properly lit and whether the pickup driver was in a position to stop in time.
Because when someone dies in a rear-end crash like this, the goal isn’t just to assume fault; it’s to understand whether either driver failed to do something the law requires, and whether that failure left one family forever changed.
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