A three-mile stretch of Highway 99 was closed for more than five hours Saturday after dense fog caused a massive vehicle crash in Tulare County, about 40 miles north of Bakersfield.
The California Highway Patrol said 59 vehicles were involved in the crash that occurred around 8 a.m. The road reopened in the middle of the afternoon.
Several people suffered minor to moderate injuries and some were taken to a local hospital, according to CHP Visalia. CHP officers received multiple calls starting at 8:17 a.m. reporting collisions in the north and south lanes of the highway, the agency reported.
“During dense fog, avoid travel and do not rely on automatic lights,” Tulare County wrote on Facebook after the incident.
The Tulare County Fire Department said the road was closed in both directions from 24th Avenue to the Kern County line.
The National Weather Service issued a fog advisory for the San Joaquin Valley on Saturday, including stretches of Highway 99. Parts of the eastern U.S. are experiencing severe winter storms.
