59-Vehicle Crash Shuts Down Both Sides Of CA Freeway

TULARE COUNTY, CA — A massive pileup closed down both sides of Highway 99 in Tulare County Saturday as dense fog created dangerous driving conditions, officials said.

The crashes — which involved 59 vehicles —occurred on northbound and southbound lanes of Highway 99 from Avenue 24 to the Kern County line, prompting the closure of the highway, according to local news reports.

Ten people were injured in the chain-reaction collision, the San Francisco Chronicle is reporting.

The pileup happened near Earlimart shortly after 8:15 a.m. Saturday. Initially, there were reports of as many as 120 vehicles involved but that was later changed to 59. Photos shared by the Tulare County Fire Department show vehicles involved in the collision crushed in between semis.

Highway 99 reopened mid-afternoon on Saturday, officials said. The California Highway Patrol said fog was believed to be a factor and that there was only between 100 to 200 feet of visibility at the time of the collision, according to ABC 7.