5 Injured in DUI Crash at Chester Avenue and 24th Street [Bakersfield, CA]

Police Investigate DUI Crash at Chester Avenue and 24th Street in Bakersfield

BAKERSFIELD, CA (June 11, 2026)— Five people were injured in an early Thursday morning crash at Chester Avenue and 24th Street.

According to the Bakersfield Police Department, officers responded to the intersection around 2:55 a.m. on June 11, 2026, after receiving reports of a crash.

Officers found 36-year-old Bernice Bravo Menzo, a Bakersfield resident and the driver of a black sedan, with minor to moderate injuries. Investigators determined that Menzo was allegedly driving under the influence.

Authorities said Menzo was transported to a hospital for treatment and arrested on suspicion of felony DUI.

According to the preliminary investigation, Menzo was driving westbound on 24th Street at excessive speed when she allegedly ran a red light and struck a KCSO transport vehicle. The transport vehicle was traveling southbound on Chester Avenue and approaching 24th Street on a green light.

The KCSO transport van driver and three inmates sustained minor to moderate injuries. Emergency responders transported all four by ambulance to a hospital for treatment.

Police said the intersection is controlled by three-way automated traffic signals, which appeared to be working properly at the time of the crash.

The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call the Bakersfield Police Department at (661) 327-7111.

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Injured in a Bakersfield DUI Crash? Sweet Lawyers Can Help Protect Your Rights

A suspected DUI crash can leave victims facing pain, fear, frustration, and uncertainty. When a driver allegedly runs a red light at excessive speed and strikes another vehicle, the people inside that vehicle may suffer injuries through no fault of their own.

In this Bakersfield crash, the driver of a KCSO transport vehicle and three inmates were hospitalized, highlighting how dangerous impaired driving can be for everyone on the road.

At Sweet Lawyers, we understand how overwhelming the aftermath of a DUI-related crash can be. Injured victims may face emergency treatment, follow-up appointments, medical bills, missed work, pain, emotional distress, and complicated insurance questions.

Even injuries described as minor to moderate should be taken seriously, as symptoms involving the neck, back, head, shoulders, or soft tissue can worsen after the collision.

DUI crashes require careful investigation. Important evidence may include the Bakersfield Police Department report, CHP findings, traffic signal data, witness statements, crash scene photos, vehicle damage, medical records, toxicology results, body camera footage, surveillance video, dash camera footage, and roadway evidence.

Investigators may also review speed, signal timing, driver impairment, braking, and whether the suspect driver failed to obey traffic controls.

Insurance companies may try to minimize injuries or resolve claims quickly before victims understand the full impact of the crash.

A personal injury claim may help injured victims pursue compensation for medical expenses, rehabilitation, lost income, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and other crash-related losses.

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