Five Injured After Multi-Crash Incident On and Near Highway 99 in Modesto

Five Injured After Multi-Crash Incident On and Near Highway 99 in Modesto

MODESTO, CA – Saturday night, September 12, a three-car multi-crash incident on and near Highway 99 in Modesto near Sisk Road and Plaza Parkway turned into a second crash on Highway 99, sending five people to hospitals for treatment.

According to the Modesto Police and Fire departments, the first collision happened at approximately 9 p.m. when first responders were dispatched to Plaza Parkway and Sisk Road.

But the incident didn’t end there.

One of the vehicles involved in the initial crash smashed through a fence into Highway 99. Once on the freeway, the vehicle was hit by a vehicle moving north.

Modesto Fire personnel had to use the hydraulic Jaws of Life to remove the driver of the vehicle that entered the highway. Police reported that driver sustained serious injuries.

Five people were ultimately transported to hospitals for treatment. Information about the severity of the other injuries was not immediately available.

The California Highway Patrol assisted with traffic control on northbound Highway 99 while emergency crews worked at the scene.

The Modesto Police Department continues to investigate the collision.

When One Crash Becomes Two

Multi-vehicle accidents can be complicated enough without a collision moving from a city street onto a major freeway.

In this case, investigators will need to determine exactly how the first collision happened, what caused the vehicle to leave the roadway, and what happened when it entered Highway 99 and was struck by another vehicle.

Those questions can become important when determining liability in a Modesto car accident claim.

• Was one driver responsible for the initial collision?
• Did another driver’s actions contribute to what happened next?
• Could the second collision have been avoided?
• Were roadway conditions, visibility, speed, or traffic patterns factors?
• And how should responsibility be divided when injuries result from a sequence of related crashes?

Those aren’t questions that can always be answered simply by looking at the final resting positions of the vehicles.

Evidence Matters After a Serious Car Accident

When a crash involves multiple vehicles, multiple locations, and multiple impacts, evidence becomes particularly important.

That can include photographs of the crash scenes and vehicle damage, witness statements, traffic-camera or surveillance footage, police reports, physical evidence from the roadway, and information about the sequence of impacts.

Evidence can also disappear quickly:

• Traffic conditions change.
• Vehicles are moved.
• Road debris is cleared.
• Surveillance systems may overwrite recordings.

The sooner the facts are documented, the easier it can be to understand what actually happened.

That matters not only for determining who was at fault, but also for understanding the full extent of an injured person’s losses.

Serious Injuries Can Change Everything

Being trapped after a collision and requiring extrication is a reminder that the consequences of a crash aren’t measured by the number of damaged vehicles.

A serious car accident can result in emergency treatment, surgery, rehabilitation, lost time from work, and substantial medical expenses. Some injuries may also affect a person’s ability to work, care for a family, or enjoy everyday activities long after the wreck has been cleared from the road.

For someone injured in a Modesto car accident, those consequences can become part of a personal injury claim.

Check out this video with accident attorney Ed Smith to discover how to select the best injury lawyer for your claim:

At AutoAccident.com, our experienced car accident lawyers understand that the legal questions following a serious collision can be just as complicated as the crash itself. Our job is to investigate the facts, identify potentially responsible parties, preserve important evidence, and help injured people understand their legal options.

This particular collision remains under investigation, and additional details may become available as investigators determine what led to the crashes.

For now, the most important fact is that five people were injured in a chain of events that began on a city street and ended on Highway 99.

Sometimes an accident isn’t one impact.

It’s a chain reaction—and understanding that chain can matter when determining who is responsible for the damage it leaves behind.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident in Modesto, Stanislaus County, or elsewhere in California, AutoAccident.com is available to help you understand your rights.

Visit us online or call (916) 921-6400 for a free consultation.