10 Hurt As Thick Fog Triggers 59-Vehicle Pile-Up On California Highway Amid Intense Cold Across US

Ten people were injured after dangerously thick fog triggered a massive, 59-vehicle pile-up on California’s Highway 99 over the weekend, authorities said while speaking to the New York Times.

According to ABC7 San Francisco, the crash occurred early Saturday morning in Tulare County, forcing a complete shutdown of the highway for several hours. The California Highway Patrol said it began receiving emergency calls shortly after 8:15 a.m. local time reporting multiple crashes on both the northbound and southbound lanes near Avenue 24.

Officials initially faced confusion over the scale of the incident after a county social media post suggested as many as 150 vehicles may have been involved. The CHP later clarified that 59 vehicles were confirmed

to be part of the pile-up, disputing the higher estimate.

“The carnage out there. Vehicles turned over and up on each other, under each other,” CHP officer Adrian Gonzalez was quoted as saying by ABC7.

Authorities said visibility at the time of the crashes was severely reduced, estimated at just 100 to 200 feet because of dense fog. Investigators believe the low visibility was a key factor behind the chain-reaction collisions, which unfolded rapidly. “In just 11 minutes, all traffic stopped,” Gonzalez further added.

Dense fog in California led to a nearly 60-vehicle pileup that injured at least 10 people and forced the closure of one of the region’s busiest highways. pic.twitter.com/XrugwQI14f

— AccuWeather (@accuweather) February 1, 2026

Ten people were taken to hospital, Gonzalez said. Nine suffered minor injuries, while one person sustained a moderate injury to the forehead. Others involved in the crash were transported by bus to the Tulare Ag Center to await assistance.

The highway, which runs through a region of California known for thick and persistent fog, was fully reopened after about six hours. The CHP said lessons learned from a deadly 17-vehicle fog-related crash on Highway 99 in nearby Fresno County just weeks earlier helped speed up the response and clearance efforts.

“We put the badges and whatever agencies aside, and ultimately our main goal is how quickly of a service can we give to this motoring public in their time of need?” Gonzalez said.

The New York Times reported that Highway 99, which runs southeast of Fresno and north of Bakersfield, is frequently affected by dangerous fog conditions, particularly during winter months.