2 dead after car slams into tree on Hwy. 178 in Weldon, passenger ID’d

BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK/KBFX) — A crash on Highway 178 in Weldon left two people dead Saturday evening after a car slammed into a tree, according to the Kern County Coroner’s Office.

The collision happened around 6:35 p.m. Saturday, March 28, 2026, in the 19000 block of Highway 178. The coroner said a man was driving with a female passenger when, for unknown reasons, the vehicle struck a tree. Both the driver and passenger died at the scene.

The coroner’s office identified the passenger as 62-year-old Deborah Lea Struska of Weldon. The driver was identified only as John Doe, and his name will be released once the next of kin positively identifies him…

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