Injuries reported in big rig accidents that snarled traffic on Highway 99

A portion of Highway 99 southbound in Merced was closed for 80 minutes Tuesday morning following two traffic accidents involving big rigs, authorities said.

Caltrans issued an alert advising motorists to avoid the area of Highway 99 at 16th Street. The road was closed temporarily for repairs after the second accident, which was reported at 8:26 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.

The first collision was reported at 8:16 a.m. just south of the R Street off ramp, where a 2015 Freightliner pulling a trailer collided with a 2008 Ford F-250, according to Officer Eric Zuniga.

The 63-year-old big rig driver, Roger Lee Miller of Norco, was not injured, according to CHP. The man in the Ford, Thomas Aaron Bauman, 33, of Ceres, was taken to Memorial Medical Center in Modesto with minor injuries.

Ten minutes later a big rig pulling two trailers slowed and was rear-ended by a bobtail truck, which was rear-ended by a Honda, CHP said.

The bobtail truck driver, Antonio Rios, was not injured but his passenger, Trinidad Gonzalez of Sunnyside, Wash., was taken to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, CHP said.

The Honda driver, Maurilia Perez of Livingston, and big rig driver, Kevin Carlson of Merced, both complained of pain but did not seek help from first responders, CHP said.

As of 9:38 a.m., traffic was backed up into Atwater, the CHP reported.

Caltrans said all of the lanes were clear after about noon.

This story was originally published November 28, 2017 at 9:46 AM with the headline "Injuries reported in big rig accidents that snarled traffic on Highway 99."