Highway 99 reopens after 59-vehicle pileup in the Central Valley

A three-mile stretch of Highway 99 was closed for more than five hours Saturday after dense fog led to a massive vehicle pileup 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 highway reopened midafternoon.

Several people sustained mild 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 both the north and southbound lanes of the roadway, the agency reported.

“During dense fog avoid travel and do not rely on automatic headlights,” the County Of Tulare wrote on Facebook following the incident.

The Tulare County Fire Department said the highway was closed in both directions from Avenue 24 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. Eastern parts of the U.S. are experiencing severe winter storms.