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108 cars and 18 big rig trucks collided in the fog on Highway 99 near Fresno, California on Saturday November 3, 2007

108 car crash pile up in Fresno involving 18 big rig trucks is one of the worst in terms of numbers of vehicles involved, in U.S. history in terms of the number of vehicles.

The first impact happened just before 8 a.m. in the northbound lanes just south of American Avenue. Even as rescuers worked to help the injured, more cars and trucks crashed into the growing pileup.

“Our firefighters could hear other crashes happening in the distance,” said Cal Fire/Fresno County Fire Capt. Mike Bowman. “It definitely affects the psyche of the firefighters.”

By the time it was over, the wreckage extended from American Avenue about a mile south toward Clovis Avenue, investigators said.

18 big rig trucks were also damaged in the vehicle crash, which occurred on northbound Highway 99 just south of Fresno in deep fog. Witnesses states that the fog made it hard to see and that may have added to the increase in the accident occurring. This is verified by the CHP.

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

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

First responders extracted many from their cars and trucks. The ambulances transported at least three dozen wounded to the emergency room with injuries, according toKen Shockley, a Fresno Fire Department spokesperson.

“Everybody was trying to miss everybody, but it was impossible not to get hit,” according to Cindy Ramirez, who is 21 years old.
The freeway’s northbound lanes were shut down and accident reconstructionists are at work trying to determine fault. Traffic was backed up for many miles just south of the crash site but the Southbound lanes did not close.

This type thick seasonal fog is called “Tule fog” and is common in Central California during the winter and fall months. Recently another part of the highway just due south of this wreck was the accident site of a 74-car chain collision in autumn. That was about ten years ago and two people died in that one.

The most deadly, weather-related accident happened the day after Thanksgiving in 1991. Fierce winds stirred up a huge dust storm that reduced visibility on Interstate 5 in western Fresno County to zero. Five pileups involving 127 vehicles left 17 people dead.

Traffic was backed up for miles on the highway, a major north-south connector through the Central Valley. But late Saturday, authorities said they hoped to have the northbound lanes reopened by 9 p.m. By 6 p.m., all but four vehicles had either been towed from the scene or driven away. By 9:30 p.m. the lanes were reopened.

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