On Jan. 11 around 9:15 a.m., a sudden wall of fog on Highway 99 in Fresno contributed to a 17-vehicle pileup that killed one person and injured more than two dozen. Married couple Melissa and Jason Culver said their car was struck seven times and was totaled; emergency crews removed the front door to extricate them. Authorities identified the fatality as 61-year-old Gustavo Villanueva Vargas, who was struck after exiting his vehicle. Officials continue to investigate the chain-reaction crash and stress caution when driving in fog.
‘A Wall of Fog’: Couple Survives 17-Vehicle Pileup on Fresno’s Highway 99 That Killed One
Fresno Fire DepartmentHighway 99 crash in Fresno, Calif. on Jan. 11, 2026.
On the morning of Jan. 11, a sudden layer of dense fog preceded a devastating chain-reaction crash on Highway 99 in Fresno. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) responded around 9:15 a.m. to reports of a 17-vehicle pileup that left one person dead and more than two dozen injured.
What Happened
CHP investigators say the collision likely began when vehicles traveling side-by-side slowed abruptly, and drivers behind them could not stop in time. Multiple local outlets and officials cited heavy, unexpected fog as a major contributing factor to the reduced visibility that led to the multi-car crash.
Fresno Fire DepartmentHighway 99 crash in Fresno, Calif. on Jan. 11, 2026.
Survivors' Accounts
Married couple Melissa and Jason Culver described the moment visibility vanished. Melissa told local reporters that a “thick layer of fog” appeared suddenly, and Jason said they had been able to see about a half-mile before “all of a sudden, there was just a wall of fog.”
“We could see a half mile — no problem. Then all of a sudden, there was just a wall of fog,” Jason told KMPH.
The Culvers said their car was struck seven times in the chain reaction and that they also struck the vehicle ahead of them. Emergency crews arrived within minutes and removed the front door of the totaled vehicle to extricate the pair. Despite multiple impacts, Melissa and Jason sustained mostly minor injuries — cuts, bruises and shock — and were treated at the scene.
Fresno Fire DepartmentHighway 99 crash in Fresno, Calif. on Jan. 11, 2026.
Fatality and Injuries
Authorities identified the lone fatality as Gustavo Villanueva Vargas, 61, who was pronounced dead at the scene. CHP Officer Mike Salas told reporters that Vargas and his wife had exited their vehicle when Vargas was struck and reportedly thrown about 30 feet to the right shoulder. Vargas’ wife was transported to a local hospital; officials have not released further details about her condition.
Officials reported that more than two dozen people sustained injuries ranging from minor to serious. The Fresno Fire Department and other first responders worked at the scene to treat the injured and clear the wreckage. CHP did not immediately respond to a request for comment from PEOPLE.
Message From Survivors
Speaking after the crash, the Culvers urged drivers to exercise caution when encountering fog. Melissa offered practical advice: “Don’t mess around with the fog. If you’re going to end up being late to wherever it is that you’re going, alive and late is better than the alternative.”
The collision is under investigation as authorities continue to piece together the sequence of events and to assess road and weather conditions at the time of the crash.
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