Thick fog causes 17-vehicle pile up crash that kills one

Thick fog caused a 17 vehicle pile up crash in central California that killed one and injured many on Sunday morning. 

The accident happened at about 9:15 a.m. on Sunday, January 11th on southbound Highway 99 in Fresno County, California. 

According to Fresno Bee, the chain reaction crash started when two vehicles slowed down in the lanes of traffic between North and Cedar avenues due to poor visibility in the thick fog. The vehicles traveling behind the slowed cars then braked abruptly, causing a pile up crash behind them as drivers attempted to avoid the slowed cars. 

Two motorists who had exited their vehicles were then struck by other vehicles. One 61-year-old man was pronounced dead, and another was found in a nearby grassy median with major injuries, reported Fox26. 

12 ambulances responded to the scene, and patients with minor injuries were transported to nearby hospitals by bus. 

“This is one of the most horrific crashes I can recall,” said California Highway Patrol spokesperson Mike Salas. “About 25 years ago, in nearly the same location, there was a multi-vehicle crash very similar to this.”

At least one tractor trailer was involved in the crash. California Highway Patrol says that fog was a contributing factor in the crash. The incident is still under investigation.