Children critically injured after family vehicle is rear-ended on Highway 99 in Fresno

A family of five suffered major injuries, including two children in critical condition, from a multi-vehicle crash Friday evening on Highway 99 in central Fresno.

The incident occurred around 5 p.m. on southbound Highway 99, just north of the Clinton Avenue exit.

The California Highway Patrol said a driver of a Dodge truck did not notice that the vehicles in front of him had either drastically slowed down or even stopped because of rush hour traffic.

As a result, the Dodge truck driver sideswiped two vehicles and rear-ended a third car, CHP said.

The car that was rear-ended, which was a Toyota Corolla, carried the family of five inside.

CHP said two of the three children in the backseat of the Corolla were critically injured and the third child suffered major injuries. Their ages were approximately 7 to 8 years old, CHP said.

In addition, the parents in the front seats of the Corolla suffered major to moderate injuries.

All five were transported to Fresno Community Regional Medical Center.

Those inside the two other vehicles hit by the Dodge truck were not injured, CHP added.

The Dodge truck driver sustained minor injuries. He was not arrested.

CHP said the Dodge truck driver was not under the influence of any substance at the time of the crash, but he also did not pay full attention prior to causing the four-vehicle crash.

Highway 99 was at a near standstill in the area for about an hour before traffic slowly began flowing again.

This story was originally published April 1, 2022 at 7:04 PM.