Overview
- California Highway Patrol confirmed 59 vehicles were involved in a chain-reaction crash around 8:15 a.m. near Avenue 24 in Earlimart.
- At least 10 people were hospitalized with injuries described as minor to moderate, and no deaths had been reported as of the latest updates.
- Highway 99 was closed in both directions from Avenue 24 to the Kern County line while investigators and tow operators worked the scene.
- Authorities cited dense fog as a likely factor and urged drivers to slow down, increase following distance, and manually turn on headlights in low visibility.
- Officials clarified that early estimates as high as 150 vehicles were incorrect, and multiple tractor-trailers in the wreckage added to the closure and cleanup complexity.