2 dead following rollover crash along Cottonwood Rd

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Two people were killed and speed and impairment may be factors in a rollover collision Tuesday evening in south Bakersfield, police said.

The crash was reported just after 5 p.m. near the intersection of East Pacheco and Cottonwood roads, according to the Bakersfield Police Department.

Investigators said two people in a Dodge pickup were traveling southbound along Cottonwood Road near East Pacheco Road. A witnesses told police the driver of the pickup truck was using a dirt shoulder of the roadway to pass other drivers when the pickup truck driver lost control and overturned the truck.

The driver and a passenger in the truck were ejected and suffered severe injuries. One person was pronounced dead at the scene, another was taken to a nearby hospital where they were pronounced dead.

“Unsafe speed and impairment appear to be factors in the collision,” the department said in a statement.

The Kern County Coroner’s Office will identify the driver and passenger at a later time.

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

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