On April 2nd, 2019, our family lost a brother and son, Jason Quinn Kelly. Jason was struck by 2004 Chevrolet Silverado driven by a known rapist, child molester, drug user, and alcohol abuser, with both DUIs and a weapon charge on his record. This man, Alfonso Castro Sr., struck him as he was crossing the street in an unmarked crosswalk, where the pedestrian has the right of way as much as they would in a marked crosswalk. Jason was initially hit at 64 miles per hour and carried into the street. Jason was clinging to life, but then, Castro revved his engine, backed up, and hit Jason a second time at 82 miles per hour. All of this happened in a 40 mile per hour speed limit residential area. Castro was the only witness to the event, and, despite the forensic evidence, it seems that the officer in charge of the investigation readily believed the felon.

Imagine what it would be like to be struck like this – the first hit comes at a surprise, you’re dazed, confused, scared, and in pain, and then, instead of getting out of their vehicle to make sure you’re okay, the driver decides to back up and hit you again. And the only witnesses to what happened are the cold, rough pavement beneath your back, and the man who killed you. Imagine the pain we feel at the loss of someone so dear to us, and what the loss of your family members would feel like, if it happened to them. Also imagine all the wasted potential.

Imagine you’re an honors student. You’re on the Dean’s List at CSUB; you’re a Freshman taking Junior-level courses, and your teachers think you’re a marvel. This was Jason. He was only 18 years old, and his life, and all the things he worked so hard for, were taken away in an instant. Jason had a heart so big he could carry the entire world in it. He donated life-saving blood plasma regularly, gave money to the homeless whenever he could, and even people in his day-to-day life remarked that he spent time caring for other people’s needs even when it seemed like he could use help himself. Jason even won the homecoming royalty title at CSUB, two years in a row. His professors remarked at his accomplishments and prodigious understanding of English, with Dr. Monica Ayuso going as far as saying “I was delighted when I saw him again in my Ethnic Minority American class” stating that his emphatic delivery and eloquence were “so big for his small frame”. Jason was described as having boyish features and an angelic appearance by one of his professors, as well.

As Jason’s family, we all miss him and grieve his passing. To make matters more difficult, however, our grief has been continually interrupted by the felon who struck Jason – following us when we go grocery shopping and crossing an intersection in his truck and only stopping to avoid hitting us because we had a camcorder at the time.

Jason’s life was tragically cut short when he was only just beginning to live it. We’re asking the police to bring justice for Jason, because he was a wonderful man who didn’t deserve this fate, and because this could happen to other families, families like yours or like the family of someone you care for. It has happened to other families and will continue to happen until the drivers who cause these accidents are brought to justice, because an injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere. As we’ve been told so many times since Jason has passed: the good ones die first. If we truly want a just and good society, do we want this to be the case? Or do we want those to commit injustice to get away with their crime, because the people in poor neighborhoods are considered irrelevant, even when they’re good and industrious? His is why we are asking the City of Bakersfield, the Mayor, and the community at large to enact justice and to end the freedom of those criminals who walk among us unchecked. Please help us; sign our petition, and help us get justice for Jason, as a first step to help families who have suffered the same to get justice as well.