BAKERSFIELD, CA — A serious Bakersfield Highway 178 accident on August 20, 2025, left a Caltrans worker hospitalized after being struck during a road closure near Canebrake Road. Authorities identified the driver as Joshua Michael Thomas of Kernville, who was later arrested by the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
Investigators said Thomas, driving a 2021 Ford Ranger, bypassed traffic controls and a Caltrans escort vehicle before accelerating toward the worker who tried to intervene. The victim suffered serious leg injuries.
After fleeing the scene, Thomas’s truck was located nearby with the help of witnesses and Caltrans crews. He was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and booked into Lerdo Jail.
The injured Caltrans worker was transported to Ridgecrest Hospital, where he is in stable condition, CHP Bakersfield confirmed.
