Graduation day turned from a celebration to trouble for two Bakersfield teens. Police say a high-speed motorcycle crash involving two 18-year-old high school seniors happened just hours before they were scheduled to walk across the graduation stage.Around 2:40 Thursday afternoon, Bakersfield police responded to a motorcycle crash near Panorama Drive and Union Avenue. Investigators say the southbound bike lost control, slammed into a guardrail, and sent the passenger tumbling down an embankment. Both teens were injured.Rex Davenport is a Sergeant with the Bakersfield Traffic Division, and he says, "This was at 2:30 yesterday, and it was two Highland High School seniors who were scheduled to graduate and walk the stage at 6. And obviously, neither one of them made it."The driver's name is Michael James Smith, but the passengers name has not been released. Both the driver and passenger were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. Police say the driver was arrested on suspicion of felony DUI and booked into the Kern County Jail."The driver of the motorcycle was booked for felony DUI for causing injuries to his passenger. He was well over the legal limit for somebody 21 years or older. You can't have any readable level of alcohol as a minor, and he was over the 21-year-old limit," Sergeant Davenport said.Both the driver and passenger were students at Highland High School.When officers arrived, they found graduation caps, gowns, and honor cords strewn across the crash scene. Stark reminders of the ceremony the students would never attend. "Those types of arrests will change your life. He's going to have difficulty with that on his record for a while, losing his license for a while. The other problem with this collision is that he didn't have a motorcycle license, so he doesn't have the skill level. It was raining. Neither one of them was wearing helmets. Just a recipe for disaster," Sergeant Davenport said.The crash happened as Bakersfield Police were already filming a graduation safety message focused on responsible decision-making during celebrations. "Talking about not drinking underage, not drinking and driving, not driving distracted," said Sergeant Davenport.Police are urging graduates and their families to plan ahead, celebrate responsibly, and never get behind the wheel impaired.Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere: Download Our Free App for Apple and Android Sign Up for Our Daily E-mail Newsletter Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Instagram Subscribe to Us on YouTube ...read more read less