A catastrophic multi-vehicle collision involving as many as 150 vehicles has shut down a serious California freeway because of thick fog. Authorities verify no less than 59 automobiles participated within the chain-reaction crash, which occurred early Saturday morning on Freeway 99 north of Bakersfield.
Particulars of the Crash
The incident unfolded shortly after 8:15 a.m. native time close to Earlimart, the place heavy fog diminished visibility to between 100 and 200 toes. Eyewitness accounts and official photographs reveal scenes of devastation, together with twisted steel wreckage, crushed sedans pinned between semi-trucks, and particles strewn throughout each northbound and southbound lanes from Avenue 24 to the Kern County line.
The collision compelled an entire closure of the Golden State Freeway, halting site visitors for hours as emergency groups navigated the chaos. Officers had beforehand issued warnings urging drivers to keep away from the route amid the hazardous climate.
Security Warnings and Response Efforts
A county spokesman emphasised the hazards of foggy circumstances, stating: “Throughout dense fog, keep away from journey and don’t depend on automated headlights. As a result of it isn’t darkish, headlights and tail lights should not illuminated, and your car is almost not possible to see. Be sure that to manually flip in your headlights so others have an opportunity to see you.”
Tulare County Fireplace coordinated with Kern County Fireplace and Visalia Metropolis Fireplace for mutual support, whereas California Freeway Patrol officers secured the world. Responders cleared broken automobiles and evaluated the positioning, advising motorists to hunt alternate routes through the cleanup.
Ten people sustained accidents and required hospitalization, although no fatalities have been reported.
Historical past of Fog-Associated Incidents on Freeway 99
This occasion highlights Freeway 99’s fame for fog-induced pile-ups. Simply days earlier, a 43-car crash on close by Freeway 58 exterior Bakersfield despatched 9 individuals to the hospital. Earlier this month, a 17-vehicle collision on Freeway 99 in Fresno claimed two lives, together with driver Gustavo Vargas and his relative Gloria Rodriguez. Vargas’ spouse suffered extreme accidents after falling 40 toes over a guardrail; the household was en path to church on the time.
