Friday, 7 August 2026, 23:01
Kern County prosecutors are pursuing a murder charge against Tomice Fryman, the man accused of a deadly hit-and-run on Bakersfield's Westside Parkway last May. Fryman is scheduled to return to court on Sept. 18, 2026, according to Kern County Superior Court records.
Fryman faces four charges in the death of Zachariah Nathaniel Byrd, 36, of Bakersfield: murder, vehicle manslaughter with gross negligence, hit-and-run involving death or permanent serious injury, and driving while his license was suspended or revoked for DUI. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts.
His next court appearance is set for Sept. 18, 2026.
Bakersfield police responded to the eastbound lanes of Westside Parkway near the Mohawk Street off-ramp at about 6:23 a.m. on May 3, 2025. Officers arrived after receiving reports of suspicious circumstances and found body parts. No vehicle or driver was at the scene.
According to the probable cause declaration, Fryman called the Bakersfield Police Department at about 4:15 p.m. to turn himself in. He admitted he was the driver during the crash and said he drove home after it happened.
DMV records showed Fryman's license was suspended for DUI at the time of the crash. Court records also show DUI convictions in 2015 and 2021.
Westside Parkway is a major east-west artery in Bakersfield. The May 3 crash near the Mohawk Street off-ramp has renewed public attention on impaired driving and hit-and-run cases in Kern County.
California allows prosecutors to seek murder charges against repeat DUI offenders under the legal standard known as the Watson doctrine. Fryman's prior DUI convictions in 2015 and 2021 are central to that argument in this case.
The Sept. 18 hearing will mark the next step in Fryman's case as it moves through Kern County Superior Court. The court will address procedural issues in a case that combined a fatal hit-and-run with a repeat DUI driving record, and observers will be watching for any developments.
