A massive car crash saw a 150 vehicle pile up on a Californian Highway on Saturday.
Dense fog triggered the devastating carnage shortly after 8.15am local time near Earlimart, a small agricultural community in Tulare County, when drivers suddenly found themselves in near-zero visibility conditions.
Within moments, the motorway transformed into a chaotic scene of mangled wreckage, with crushed cars, overturned articulated lorries and debris scattered across lanes in both directions.
The scale of destruction was so severe that the route was completely closed from Avenue 24 to the Kern County line, with authorities warning the shutdown would extend well into the evening.
California Highway Patrol confirmed that 59 vehicles were directly involved in the collision, though assessments from county officials put the figure considerably higher.
At least 10 people required hospital treatment for their injuries, while scores of other motorists found themselves trapped at the scene for hours as rescue teams picked their way through the wreckage.
Authorities said it remained unclear whether the pile-up had claimed any lives despite the horrifying extent of the damage.
Photographs released by Tulare County Fire Department revealed vehicles flattened beneath heavy goods vehicles, with shattered windscreens, doors ripped from hinges and twisted metal frames crushed against concrete barriers.
California Highway Patrol confirmed that 59 vehicles were directly involved in the collision
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ABC7
Authorities said it remained unclear whether the pile-up had claimed any lives
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ABC7
Emergency crews from Kern County Fire and Visalia City Fire were called in to support Tulare County’s response to the incident
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ABC7
Officers reported that visibility had plummeted to between 100 and 200 feet when the crash unfolded, effectively blinding motorists travelling along one of California’s most heavily used freight and commuter routes.
Emergency crews from Kern County Fire and Visalia City Fire were called in to support Tulare County’s response to the incident.
Highway patrol officers remained at the scene for several hours as rescue workers navigated the twisted wreckage searching for injured motorists.
Those who escaped serious harm were eventually transported by bus to the Tulare Ag Center, where they awaited onward travel arrangements and medical assessments.
Highway 99, known locally as the Golden State Highway, has developed a grim reputation for fog-related disasters
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TULARE COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT
Highway patrol officers remained at the scene for several hours as rescue workers navigated the twisted wreckage searching for injured motorists
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TULARE COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT
By mid-afternoon, traffic remained completely stationary for miles in either direction as investigators documented the scene, measuring skid marks and cataloguing damage to vehicles.
Towing operations for the dozens of destroyed cars and lorries were expected to take considerable time, with motorists urged to seek alternative routes and avoid the area entirely.
Officials issued urgent warnings to drivers about a common and potentially fatal error in foggy conditions.
County authorities cautioned motorists against relying on automatic headlight systems, explaining that because fog does not trigger darkness sensors, vehicles remain effectively invisible without manually activated lights.
The scale of destruction was so severe that the route was completely closed from Avenue 24 to the Kern County lin
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TULARE COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT
Photographs released by Tulare County Fire Department revealed vehicles flattened beneath heavy goods vehicles
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TULARE COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT
Officials advised: “Make sure to manually turn on your headlights so others have a chance to see you.”
Highway 99, known locally as the Golden State Highway, has developed a grim reputation for fog-related disasters, with Saturday’s incident the latest in a troubling pattern.
Just days prior, thick fog caused a 43-vehicle collision on Highway 58 near Bakersfield, hospitalising nine people.
Earlier this month, a 17-vehicle crash on the same stretch of Highway 99 in Fresno proved fatal, claiming two lives.
