Update: Turlock man killed, several hurt in Interstate 5 wreck in Stanislaus County

There is one confirmed death in the northbound Interstate 5 crash west of Vernalis, according to the California Highway Patrol Modesto-area spokesman Officer Tom Olsen. a 32-year-old man from Turlock was killed, he said.

Numerous other people were injured in the chain-reaction crash involving eight vehicles, two of which are big rigs, he said. He did not have an exact number of those hurt, and no information was immediately available on the severity of injuries.

The crash occurred shortly before 4:30 a.m. on I-5 near the Interstate 580 junction. Traffic was backed up because of an earlier collision on the interstate, Olsen said, when a big-rig driver came upon slower-moving vehicles and struck several of them.

Northbound I-5 was closed between Howard Road and the crash scene. Caltrans set up a detour, taking motorists off I-5 and onto Highway 33, Olsen said.

"We are advising drivers to stay out of the area, to use Highways 99 and 33," Olsen said shortly before 7:30 a.m. He said Caltrans and the CHP expected to reopen I-5 north before 8:30. One lane was open was open as of 7:40.

Entries on the CHP Traffic Incident Information Page indicated one vehicle appeared flattened, at least one person had to be extricated from a vehicle, and tow trucks were stuck in traffic.

This story was originally published January 9, 2018 at 6:34 AM with the headline "Update: Turlock man killed, several hurt in Interstate 5 wreck in Stanislaus County."