5yearold boy critically injured in Bakersfield hitandrun crash; suspect identified and at large
Sep 25, 2026
A 5-year-old boy is in critical condition after police say a truck ran a stop sign and slammed into an SUV carrying him, his mother, and his younger sister in Bakersfield.Ring video from a nearby home captured the moment police
say the truck blew through a stop sign at Tyree Toliver and Wilkins Streets at around 2 p.m. on Thursday, slamming into the SUV and sending it into a fence.Bakersfield Police Sgt. Rex Davenport said a mother and her two children were inside the overturned SUV when the crash occurred."The occupants of the SUV were still in the vehicle. It just so happened the husband and father of the children were a ways behind them, and he was actually on top of the car trying to help get them out of the overturned vehicle," Davenport said.Neighbors who witnessed or heard the crash were stunned by the violent impact and rushed to help the victims at the scene.The 5-year-old boy suffered severe head trauma and possible spinal injuries. His mother and younger sister were also hurt, but police say their injuries were minor. The boy was airlifted to Valley Children's Hospital in Madera, where he remains in stable but critical condition.Police have identified 22-year-old Gael Garcia as the suspected driver of the truck. Davenport said Garcia appeared to be injured when he fled the scene."He was limping pretty badly as he left the scene southbound on Tyree Tolliver from the scene. Possibly broken ankle or lower leg because of the way his leg was, but it could just be the way he was favoring it while he was walking, but he had a pretty significant leg injury. It appeared he was having trouble walking," Davenport said.Davenport said officers are following leads and checking locations where Garcia may be. He is described as 5 feet, 10 inches tall with dark hair.Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Gael Garcia is asked to call the Bakersfield Police Department at 327-7111.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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