Overview
- The chain‑reaction crash occurred around 9:15 a.m. Sunday on southbound Highway 99 near North and Cedar avenues and involved a semitruck among 17 vehicles.
- Authorities confirmed one death and at least 20 injuries ranging from minor to major, with several patients taken to hospitals.
- The deceased was identified in local reporting as 61‑year‑old Gustavo Villanueva Vargas of Fresno, and a woman suffered major injuries after being thrown about 40 feet down an embankment.
- CHP reported visibility of roughly 10 to 15 feet due to dense fog and said unsafe speed for conditions contributed to the collisions.
- First responders used a Fresno city bus to transport some ambulatory patients, and all lanes were fully reopened at about 1:30 a.m. Monday as the investigation continues.