At least nine people were injured in a pileup of dozens of vehicles on a California highway this weekamid dense fog, authorities said.
The crash happened the morning of Jan. 27 just after 8 a.m. local time on the eastbound lanes of Highway 58 near Bakersfield, according to the Kern County Fire Department and California Highway Patrol, which responded alongside other agencies. At least 43 vehicles were involved in the pileup, the highway patrol said.
Nine people were transported to hospitals for injuries ranging from minor to major, CHP said.
Photos and video shared by the fire department and the California Highway Patrol showed the aftermath, with multiple semi-trucks and passenger vehicles crashed. A thick layer of fog was visible. In some images, first responders were seen on the scene with debris scattered around from the wreck after some fog had cleared.
Due to the number of vehicles involved, a "mass-casualty/trauma response" was initiated, CHP said in a statement to USA TODAY.
"Investigators believe weather may have been a contributing factor. Witnesses reported extremely dense fog in the area at the time of the crash, with visibility estimated between 50 to 60 feet," CHP said in the statement.
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The region remains under a dense fog advisory through noon on Jan. 28, and another will be in place later in the day until Jan. 29, according to the National Weather Service.
"With fog reducing visibility, drivers are urged to slow down, allow extra space, and drive with heightened caution," the Kern County Fire Department said.
The crashclosed the highway in both directionsas responders worked to clear the crash. Heavy-duty tow trucks and flatbeds were deployed, the California Highway Patrol in Bakersfieldsaid. The California Department of Transportation District 6saidin an update that all lanes had been reopened after midnight on Jan. 28.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Dozens of vehicles crash in pileup on California highway. See photos
