Nine people were hospitalized after a massive pileup involving more than 40 vehicles on a Central Valley highway in California.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) said CHP-Bakersfield received a report of a multi-vehicle crash “blocking all lanes of eastbound State Route 58, east of Tower Line Road” at about 8:07 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 27. Investigators believe weather played a role.
Authorities confirmed 43 vehicles were involved. Witnesses described “extremely dense fog in the area, with visibility estimated between 50 to 60 feet,” according to the CHP.
Hall Ambulance transported nine people to nearby hospitals, with injuries ranging from minor to major. Officials said there were no fatalities.
Photos shared by the CHP showed trucks and cars crumpled together, with personal belongings scattered across the roadway.
“CHP units responded to the scene of this mass-casualty/trauma incident, along with Kern County Fire and emergency medical services. The CHP Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) also assisted,” the CHP said in its release.
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They added that “Traffic lanes of SR-58 were closed into the late evening hours for this investigation.”
The Kern County Fire Department confirmed it assisted with the response and issued a warning for drivers in foggy conditions.
“With fog reducing visibility, drivers are urged to slow down, allow extra space, and drive with heightened caution,” the department wrote on Facebook, alongside a video showing emergency crews at the scene.
The CHP also urged motorists to “use extreme caution” when driving in fog, advising: “Slow down and increase following distance, use your low beams, avoid sudden stops or lane changes, delay or postpone travel.”
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The investigation remains ongoing.
The crash came just weeks after a similar fog-related pileup on State Route 99 in Fresno on Jan. 11 that left one person dead and at least 20 others injured. In a Facebook post following that crash, CHP-Fresno warned: “Bad weather can play a tragic role on our roadways,” calling it “a heartbreaking reminder of how unsafe speed for conditions, combined with dense fog, can turn an early-morning drive into a life-changing event.”
