Drivers recount being stuck in 59-vehicle pileup on Highway 99 in Tulare County

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Nearly 60 vehicles were progressive successful a monolithic pileup connected Highway 99 adjacent Earlimart connected Saturday morning, shutting down some directions of the road for hours and leaving hundreds of drivers stuck successful traffic.

Katrina Saldivar was among those caught down the clang scene. She said she realized thing was incorrect erstwhile postulation abruptly came to a stop.

"...We saw conscionable similar a clump of reddish interruption lights travel to a halt... we were similar thing atrocious indispensable person happened. Because we besides saw cars swerve to the side. So we did spot cars spell disconnected the road," Saldivar said.

Debris from the clang was scattered crossed some northbound and southbound lanes, prompting authorities to adjacent the large authorities way arsenic exigency crews responded.

According to the California Highway Patrol, galore drivers narrowly avoided being involved.

Isidro Gonzalez said helium stopped conscionable successful clip and feared being struck from behind.

"I stopped, and I conscionable hoped down me, the astir unsafe portion is, like, hopefully cipher hits maine from down - hopefully not a semi-truck," Gonzalez said.

CHP said the clang was mostly caused by debased visibility. Several vehicles were severely damaged, including aggregate semi-trucks. Video from the country showed extended harm and blocked lanes successful some directions.

Authorities said they began receiving calls astir the clang soon aft 8:15 a.m.

Emergency crews worked for hours to wide the area, with Highway 99 reopening good into the afternoon.

Some drivers told officials they were wholly stopped connected the road for hours arsenic the cleanup continued.

Saldivar said that portion she was grateful to beryllium unharmed, the acquisition has near her uneasy astir traveling done the country again, particularly with changing conditions aboriginal successful the day.

"Now that it's starting to go night, it's decidedly a batch scarier due to the fact that we're going to spell backmost into the valley, and it's like, 'Is the fog going to beryllium atrocious again? Is thing going to hap again?' You know, it's decidedly precise scary," she said.

The CHP did not instantly merchandise further details astir injuries related to the crash.