100 cars crash on highway

.Kairi. · Nov 3, 2007

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071103/ap_on_re_us/freeway_pileup

FRESNO, Calif. - More than 100 cars and trucks crashed on a fog-shrouded freeway Saturday, killing at least two people and injuring dozens more, the California Highway Patrol said.

Eighteen big rigs were involved in the massive pileup on Highway 99 just south of Fresno as patches of dense fog obscured visibility on the heavily traveled roadway, CHP officials said.

"It looked like something out of a movie, walking up and seeing all the cars mangled and crushed," CHP Officer Paul Solorzano Jr. said.

A 6-year-old boy and a 28-year-old man traveling in separate vehicles were killed in the chain-reaction collisions around 7:45 a.m., he said.

"There was probably 2-foot visibility in the fog when I got here. It was really bad," said Mike Bowman, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. "It looked like chaos. Cars were backed up on top of each other."

Rescuers had to extract several people from the wreckage, and paramedics took more than three dozen patients to the hospital with injuries, Fresno Fire Department spokesman Ken Shockley said.

"Everybody was trying to miss everybody, but it was impossible not to get hit," said Cindy Ramirez, 21, of Selma, whose purple Mazda pickup truck was rear-ended. "I'm fine physically, but I keep thinking about all of the things that could have happened."

Hours after the accident, the freeway was littered with smashed cars and trucks, broken glass, auto parts and blood. A big rig carrying stacked crates of live turkeys was stranded on the normally busy highway.

Crash victims gathered on the freeway shoulder near the wreckage, waiting to be interviewed by investigators.

The freeway's northbound lanes were shut down indefinitely as investigators worked to determine the cause of the crash. Traffic backed up for miles south of the wreckage. Southbound lanes remained opened.

Thick seasonal fog known as "Tule fog" typically occurs in Central California in the late fall and winter. A stretch of the highway several miles south was the scene of an autumn 74-car pileup nearly a decade ago that left two people dead.

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And a photo to go with it: http://news.yahoo.com/photo/071103/...c565082b565;_ylt=AppsbtUUiCGb8vLiuhE6hIpH2ocA

Hakurei Reimu · Nov 3, 2007

Holy ****

And this ISN'T a monster truck jam...Man, it seems much worst than 1...

Catch the Rain · Nov 3, 2007

That's ****ed up 0_0

To look at it positively though, it could have been a damn sight worse than 2 who were killed, though IMO it is always especially sad when a child dies, 6 years old, jeez poor kid.

Am I right in thinking they don't know the full cause yet? Or are they blaming the fog (sorry the article didn't make it very clear to me). In which case, if they are blaming poor conditions due to fog, shouldn't there be measures in place for occasions when it gets bad? (Seasonal Fog implies it is common).

I hope those who are injured get better soon.

Nailpolish <3 · Nov 3, 2007

That made my eyes water. This really scares me. All I'm thinking is how is that possible? A hundred cars? Thank god only 2 got killed, but it should have been 0.

"6 Year Old Boy" made me cry ><

Ratchet · Nov 3, 2007

Sadly drivers go too fast, aren't always totally in control of their vehicles and aren't aware of local weather anomalies. Here we get fog banks which you suddenly find even if its sunny and they aren't that wide. We have quite a few killed here when they lose control. The little boy is a really sad outcome though its amazing that under the circumstances only 2 were killed. People will never learn.

Repliku · Nov 4, 2007

That's tragic but yeah, as others mentioned, I'm quite surprised no more than 2 people died in that mess. I feel bad and don't want to downplay their demises but it is just astounding to hear only two were killed in that and to note a decade before 75 cars were in the same scenario and two people died.

We get fog here sometimes too when in the higher elevated places and if people were going too fast so they could not see ahead of them, that's not good. As someone mentioned, if it's seasonal, it was bad judgment on a few people's parts.

kitty_mckechnie · Nov 4, 2007

I too am rather surpried that only two died. They were quite lucky to only get minimum casualties. Some of those cars were completely wrecked!

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100 cars crash on highway

.Kairi. Kingdom Keeper

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