Truck crash began big I-5 pileup in fog
A 33-car pileup in dense fog closed the southbound lanes of Interstate 5 near Lodi for nearly three hours early Saturday and sent 16 motorists to three area hospitals, the California Highway Patrol reported.
Officers at the scene reported only one major injury, said CHP spokesman Angel Arceo.
Fifteen others suffered minor injuries and were taken to Lodi Memorial Hospital, Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento Medical Center and UC Davis Medical Center.
Tow trucks took hours to clear a scene marked with extensive vehicle damage. There were no fires, said Arceo.
"We were extremely lucky no one was killed," he said.
The CHP reported that a big rig crashed into another big rig at 7:25 a.m. inside an isolated fog bank near Highway 12. A dozen more crashes quickly followed.
"They were driving too fast for the traffic conditions. They weren't able to react in time," Office Arceo said. "Vehicles were traveling extremely fast, then they hit patchy fog and started slamming on brakes."
Numerous ambulances rushed to the scene, he said, along with Lodi-area fire departments and police agencies.
Traffic was routed to Highway 99 until the CHP reopened I-5's southbound lanes at 10:12 a.m.
More fog was expected Saturday night and early Sunday.
"People should absolutely slow down," said Officer Arceo. "Allow extra time if you're traveling somewhere. And also reduce your speed and increase the following distance from the car in front of you."
The CHP spokesman called it a "misconception" to rely on speed limits in foggy conditions.
"Just because the posted speed limit is 65 to 70 miles an hour that is not correct when conditions change," he said. "People have to be traveling a safe speed for traffic conditions."
ShareThis
Source: Truck crash began big I-5 pileup in fog
Officers at the scene reported only one major injury, said CHP spokesman Angel Arceo.
Fifteen others suffered minor injuries and were taken to Lodi Memorial Hospital, Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento Medical Center and UC Davis Medical Center.
Tow trucks took hours to clear a scene marked with extensive vehicle damage. There were no fires, said Arceo.
"We were extremely lucky no one was killed," he said.
The CHP reported that a big rig crashed into another big rig at 7:25 a.m. inside an isolated fog bank near Highway 12. A dozen more crashes quickly followed.
"They were driving too fast for the traffic conditions. They weren't able to react in time," Office Arceo said. "Vehicles were traveling extremely fast, then they hit patchy fog and started slamming on brakes."
Numerous ambulances rushed to the scene, he said, along with Lodi-area fire departments and police agencies.
Traffic was routed to Highway 99 until the CHP reopened I-5's southbound lanes at 10:12 a.m.
More fog was expected Saturday night and early Sunday.
"People should absolutely slow down," said Officer Arceo. "Allow extra time if you're traveling somewhere. And also reduce your speed and increase the following distance from the car in front of you."
The CHP spokesman called it a "misconception" to rely on speed limits in foggy conditions.
"Just because the posted speed limit is 65 to 70 miles an hour that is not correct when conditions change," he said. "People have to be traveling a safe speed for traffic conditions."
ShareThis
Source: Truck crash began big I-5 pileup in fog
