Massive 60-Vehicle Pileup Closes Interstate 5 in Siskiyou County
SISKIYOU COUNTY (CBS13) - Ice on the roadway triggered a massive 60-vehicle accident in freezing, foggy weather on Interstate 5 in Siskiyou County on Tuesday night.
Cal Fire confirmed the pileup took place on about a two-mile stretch of the northbound I-5 between Yreka and Hornbrook, just south of the Oregon border.
The first report on the California Highway Patrol's incident website at 6:18 p.m. said a semi truck crashed into a concrete wall after losing control on black ice. The temperature in Yreka was down to 21 degrees at 9:30 p.m. and there's a chance of snow overnight.
A witness told CBS13 she was lucky to drive through the accident and heard the semi hit something, then heard a series of other crashes. She drove to the nearby rest stop and called 911.
The interstate is closed in both directions as emergency crews access the scene from the southbound lanes. A shelter has been set up at the Siskiyous County Fairgrounds in Yreka. Buses have been made available to transport people to the fairgrounds and the Red Cross is assisting.
Minor and moderate injuries have been reported but no fatalities. Seven people were taken to area hospitals, including one by air ambulance to Medford, Ore.
There is no immediate estimate on how long the interstate would be closed.
