One lane open on Northbound HWY 99 after major accident

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A traffic nightmare in the South Valley as two busy highways have been impacted after a crash involving two big rigs.

The crash happened after 7 a.m. Tuesday on Highway 99.

One of the northbound lanes of Highway 99 in Goshen is open. Both big rigs were lying on the Highway late Tuesday morning, completely torn apart.

The accident happened just after 7 a.m. Tuesday when a big rig carrying a red, empty container was driving southbound on Highway 99. Suddenly he veered off the road, across the median, and into the northbound side of Highway 99.

At that point he crashed into another big rig which was carrying a full load of beer cans. A man driving a Honda also somehow got caught up in the crash too.

The three-vehicle collision left the person in the first big rig dead. Investigators have not identified him yet. The drivers of the other big rig and the Honda were sent to the hospital with just moderate injuries.

The CHP said they are amazed that more people were not hurt. They described the frightening scene as emergency crews arrived.

"It was not a pretty sight. The victim in the first big rig was still in his vehicle. We don't know if he was alive or not. It didn't appear so to the fire fighters, but just not something you want to see. Debris everywhere the vehicles obviously collided at a high rate of speed so the first big rig collided at a high rate of speed so parts are everywhere," said Scott Harris, California Highway Patrol.

The crash also sparked two fires -- one in each big rig. Firefighters worked for a while to get those flames out.

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visalia, tulare, goshen, tulare county, accident, local, gaby rodriguez

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