Big rig crash shuts down Highway 99 in south Modesto

A big rig carrying cars crashed on Highway 99 on Tuesday afternoon, leaving vehicles strewn on both sides of the freeway and backing up traffic near commute time.

All lanes of the busy highway were shut down near the East Hatch Road overpass after the 3:15 p.m. crash, the California Highway Patrol said. Lanes began opening an hour later, but both left lanes in each direction remained closed past 6 p.m.

The accident happened when the big rig malfunctioned, hit a minivan, then slammed into an overpass pillar, according to CHP spokesman Eric Parsons.

Three people were injured, and traffic remained backed up on the highway, onramps and side streets until about 5 p.m. as officers worked to clear the wreckage. At least two tow trucks hauled cars away. The big rig, scorched by fire, ended up in the center divide.

At one point, lines of vehicles stretched south to at least Whitmore Road and north to Salida.

Besides snarling traffic, the crash sent the driver and a passenger of the big rig to a nearby hospital with minor to moderate injuries, Parsons said.

The driver of the Toyota minivan also suffered minor to moderate injures and was taken to the hospital.

Parsons said the big rig, carrying cars on the back of a double-decker, car-hauling trailer, was traveling south when the crash occurred. The driver told officers something went wrong with his rig.

He lost control, smashing into the minivan, Parsons said. Both vehicles careened into the center divide, taking out a section of the overpass support pillar.

At some point, the big rig caught fire, Parsons said. One witness reported seeing a vehicle being hauled by the truck come flying off the trailer, the CHP said.

The flames from the big rig licked at the concrete before being extinguished.

Department of Transportation officials were called to check the stability of the overpass, Parsons said.

Meanwhile, some drivers exited the freeway trying to avoid the crash, only to find side streets in the area jammed with traffic.

Bee staff writer Kerry McCray can be reached at kmccray@modbee.com or (209) 578-2358.