Fresno County, CA (January 11, 2026) – The Fresno County Corner’s Office identified 61-year-old Gustavo Villanueva Vargas as the man killed in the multi-vehicle crash on Sunday, January 11, 2026.
Incident Details: The California Highway Patrol (CHP) reported that around 9:15 a.m. on January 11, 2026, 17 vehicles, including a semi truck, piled up on southbound Highway 99, south of North Avenue. The pileup blocked all lanes of traffic.
Two separate crash sequences were reported moments apart within the wreckage.During the initial crash, the driver and passenger of one vehicle exited their car when a second crash occurred. Vehicles from the second crash struck both of them.
According to police, the driver was propelled over the guardrail, falling nearly 40 feet down beneath the bridge. She was transported to a local hospital with major injuries. The passenger, Villanueva Vargas, was hit by a vehicle and came to a rest on the right shoulder of the freeway. Firefighters pronounced him dead at the scene.
CHP indicated that fog is believed to be a significant factor in the pileup and crash.The fog severely reduced visibility to less than an estimated 15 feet.
The crash appears to have occurred after vehicles in the No. 1 and No. 2 lanes slowed down. The cars behind them were traveling too fast to avoid a collision. That then led to a series of other crashes.
Multiple other drivers and passengers in the collisions were transported to local hospitals with minor to major injuries.
Investigation: The CHP will continue to investigate the massive 17-vehicle pileup on southbound Highway 99 south of North Avenue that killed Gustavo Villanueva Vargas. Investigators will work to piece together how the two separate crash sequences occurred moments apart and how the second collision impacted people who had exited their vehicle.
CHP will examine scene evidence, including vehicle damage, debris patterns, skid marks, and the final positions of the vehicles involved. Because fog and extremely low visibility were reported, investigators will also evaluate weather conditions, driver speed, following distances, and whether motorists were traveling too fast for conditions. These findings will help determine fault and whether any drivers acted negligently under the circumstances.
Legal Considerations: Multi-vehicle pileups often raise complex liability questions because multiple contributing factors and drivers are involved. Even when fog is a factor, drivers are still required to slow down and maintain a safe following distance based on visibility and road conditions. If the investigation determines that one or more drivers were traveling too fast for conditions or failed to brake in time, civil liability may apply for resulting injuries and loss of life.
For Vargas’s loved ones, this loss is devastating. If another driver’s negligence is found to have contributed to the crash, a wrongful death claim may help surviving family members pursue compensation for funeral and burial expenses, loss of financial support, and the loss of companionship.
Other victims injured in the crashes may also have personal injury claims to recover medical costs, lost income, and pain and suffering.
My thoughts are with the family and loved ones of Gustavo Villanueva Vargas, and I hope those injured in this pileup make a steady and full recovery.
Source: YourCentralValley