A crash involving three vehicles, including a hay truck, caused significant delays on southbound Highway 99 near Crows Landing Road on Tuesday morning, according to the California Highway Patrol.
CHP Modesto spokesman Tom Olsen reported that the incident occurred at approximately 7:29 a.m. when a Nissan Frontier and a Chevrolet Silverado were traveling in the fast lane and encountered slow-moving traffic. The Chevrolet, which was moving at an unsafe speed, swerved to avoid the Nissan but collided with its rear. The vehicle then continued into the middle lane and struck a big rig hauling hay.
As a result of the impact, the big rig lost control and hit the center median, leading to bales of hay spilling across the fast and middle lanes. No injuries were reported.
Caltrans crews responded to clear the debris, with all lanes expected to reopen by around noon. The cleanup effort caused traffic backups extending several miles to the Pelandale Avenue area.
Olsen advised motorists to drive cautiously. “We always encourage motorists to utilize a visual horizon and lower your speed,” he said. “Increase your following distance — that’s usually a good combination for safe driving.”
