Bakersfield Family Remembered After Deadly Highway 99 Collision

A family’s devastating loss

The Kern County coroner has identified three Bakersfield residents killed in a fiery collision on Highway 99 as Vanessa Sue Wetmore, 41, and her daughters Kylie Wetmore, 20, and Kloie Wetmore, 16.

The crash occurred shortly after midnight on the southbound highway north of Seventh Standard Road. The California Highway Patrol said one of the three vehicles involved was traveling north in the southbound lanes.

Investigators had not determined which vehicle was going the wrong direction when the latest information was released. No arrest or criminal charge had been announced, and authorities were still investigating whether alcohol or drugs played a role. It would be irresponsible to assign blame before that investigation is complete.

Read the source: San Francisco Chronicle: Coroner identifies the Bakersfield family ↗

The investigation continues

The family had reportedly been returning from a Fresno concert arranged as part of Kloie’s upcoming 17th-birthday celebration. All three died at the scene.

A BMW driver suffered major injuries, while two people traveling in a Chevrolet pickup sustained minor injuries.

This tragedy is a reminder that wrong-way collisions can develop in seconds and leave entire families devastated. The completed investigation should help determine whether roadway design, signs, impairment or another factor contributed—and whether additional preventive measures are needed along this stretch of Highway 99.