Woman dies in chain-reaction crash south of Fresno. Highway 41 shut down by CHP

UPDATE: Coroner ID’s woman killed in Hwy. 41 crash near Caruthers

One person was killed, multiple others were injured and Highway 41 was shut down south of Fresno Monday afternoon following a collision involving multiple vehicles, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The road closure was in effect for both north and south lanes near Elkhorn Avenue southeast of Caruthers.

CHP spokesman Mike Salas said the crash took place at 12:48 p.m. and involved four vehicles. CalFire treated five patients, one with a major injuries, four with less serious injuries, along with the fatality.

Salas said preliminary information was that a northbound Ford heavy-duty F450 pickup rear-ended a Toyota that was stopped on 41. That vehicle was pushed into a Chevrolet, also stopped, which was pushed into a big rig trailer. The pickup came to a rest on top of the Toyota, killing the adult female driver.

Traffic was being diverted, likely for an extended period of time, around the crash.

This story was originally published July 24, 2023 at 2:49 PM.