2 dead, 9 injured in California fog-shrouded I-5 pileup

Authorities in California said that a large pileup involving 35 automobiles occurred on Saturday, resulting in two fatalities and nine injuries as visibility was hampered by dense fog.

The California Department of Transportation, or Caltrans, reported on X that there was a fatal pileup on the southbound side of the freeway in Kern County, but that traffic was diverted and both lanes were closed.

The San Joaquin Valley is notorious for its "Tule fog," a thick mist that descends from the ground when rain saturates the soil. According to Caltrans, this type of fog is what caused the pileup.

According to KBAK, the pileup comprised seventeen cars and eighteen heavy rigs. Two individuals died, and nine others were brought to the hospital with unknown conditions, according to Battalion Chief Jim Calhoun of the fire department, who spoke with the station.