A massive chain-reaction crash involving dozens of vehicles shut down both directions of California's Highway 99 on Saturday morning after dense fog reduced visibility and triggered one of the region's worst pileups in years.
The crash happened just after 8.15am near the small farming community of Earlimart in Tulare County, where drivers encountered sudden, near-zero visibility conditions that caused multiple vehicles to collide into one another across both the northbound and southbound lanes.
Within seconds, the roadway became a tangled mass of crushed sedans, jackknifed semi-trucks and debris scattered across multiple lanes.
California Highway Patrol (CHP) confirmed that 59 vehicles were involved, though early estimates from county officials suggested the number could be as high as 150.
At least 10 people were taken to local hospitals for treatment, while dozens of others were stranded for hours as emergency crews worked through the wreckage.
Authorities said eventually the remaining motorists involved in the crash were bused to the Tulare Ag Center, where they waited for transportation and medical evaluations.
Highway 99 was fully closed from Avenue 24 to the Kern County line, with authorities warning the shutdown would last well into the evening as investigators cleared debris and assessed the scene.
CHP officers said visibility at the time of the crash was as low as 100 to 200 feet, leaving drivers effectively blind as they barreled down one of the state's busiest freight and commuter corridors.
Dense fog in California's Central Valley triggered a massive chain-reaction crash that left Highway 99 looking full of twisted metal as cars and trucks crashed into one another
Twisted frames of metal littered the roadway with some vehicles compressed so tightly they were barely recognizable as cars
California Highway Patrol confirmed that 59 vehicles were involved, though early estimates from county officials suggested the number could be as high as 150
Photos released by the Tulare County Fire Department showed cars flattened beneath tractor-trailers, windshields shattered, doors torn off, and mangled metal frames piled against concrete barriers.
The impact was so severe that several vehicles were pushed into the median wall separating traffic, squashing the metal into unrecognizable heaps.
Despite the horrifying scale of the pileup, officials said it remained unclear whether anyone had been killed.
Tulare County Fire confirmed that assistance was requested from Kern County Fire and Visalia City Fire, while CHP officers stayed on scene for hours as emergency responders navigated the wreckage and tried to locate injured drivers.
Officials said fog was the primary factor behind the pileup and issued urgent warnings to motorists about a common and dangerous mistake.
'During dense fog avoid travel and DO NOT rely on automatic headlights,' county officials warned.
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The highway looked like a scrapyard, with crushed sedans wedged beneath towering semi-trucks and debris strewn across every lane
The fog hung low over the scene, giving responders only fleeting glimpses of the destruction
Dense fog along a notoriously dangerous Central Valley freeway caused the horrific pileup on Saturday morning
Dense fog sparked a catastrophic chain-reaction crash that converted one of California's busiest highways into a sprawling scene of carnage and destruction
The crumpled wreckage of up to sixty cars appeared to scatter the highway in both directions
Images showed a surreal landscape of devastation with cars flattened beneath tractor-trailers, windshields shattered, doors torn off, and mangled frames piled against concrete barriers
'Because it is not dark, headlights and tail lights are not illuminated and your vehicle is nearly impossible to see. Make sure to manually turn on your headlights so others have a chance to see you.'
By mid-afternoon, traffic remained at a complete standstill as investigators measured skid marks, documented vehicle damage, and coordinated towing operations for dozens of wrecked cars and trucks.
Authorities urged drivers to avoid the area entirely and use alternate routes, warning that fog conditions could return and that more crashes were possible if motorists attempted to navigate the region.
Traffic remained frozen for miles in both directions following the massive pileup
Windshields were shattered, doors torn open, and personal belongings scattered across the roadway
Entire lanes were blocked by crushed cars and jackknifed trucks
The force of the collisions drove cars and trucks into the concrete divider, leaving frames bent and compacted against the wall
Drivers were left wandering the wreckage until emergency services came to pick them up
CHP officers said visibility at the time of the crash was as low as 100 to 200 feet, leaving drivers effectively blind as they barreled down one of the state's busiest highways
Video and phots from the scene showed the atrocious conditions drivers were facing at the time of the massive crash
CHP officers stayed on scene for hours as emergency responders navigated the wreckage and tried to locate injured drivers
Highway 99, often referred to as the Golden State Highway, has a grim reputation for deadly fog-related pileups with Saturday's disaster the latest in a growing list.
Just days earlier, nine people were hospitalized after thick fog caused a 43-car crash on Highway 58 outside Bakersfield.
Earlier this month, another tragedy unfolded on Highway 99 in Fresno, when 17 vehicles collided, killing two people.
One of the victims, Gustavo Vargas, was struck and killed after stepping out of his car. The second victim was his relative, Gloria Rodriguez. Vargas' wife survived but was hospitalized after falling 40 feet over a guardrail.
The family had been on their way to church.
