Highway 99 reopened after crash involving two big rigs and sedan closes lane near Atwater

This story has been updated

The No. 2 lane of southbound Highway 99 near Atwater was closed for several hours Thursday due to an injury collision involving two big rigs and a sedan, according to authorities.

At about 7:50 a.m. Thursday, officer responded to the collision on southbound Highway 99 just north of the Atwater Boulevard off ramp, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Eric Zuniga.

Zuniga said the No. 2 was closed and traffic was diverted to the No. 1 lane split just north of Atwater. According to authorities, one of the big rigs was hauling sulfuric acid. Zuniga said a small amount of the leaking acid was able to be collected into a bucket and a potential hazmat situation was avoided.

Zuniga said it appears the lead big rig, a 2011 Peterbilt hauling the acid, was slowing down and stopping for traffic.

Behind the big rig was a Mercedes sedan driven by a 42-year-old Alex Ramos of Modesto. According to Zuniga, the other big rig, a 2016 Freightliner hauling a flat trailer was traveling behind the Mercedes and ended up colliding with rear of the sedan wedging the vehicle between the two big rigs.

Ramos was pinned in the vehicle for about 30 minutes before being extracted and flown to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto with moderate injuries, according to Zuniga. According to the CHP website, the roadway was reopened at about 1:20 p.m.

According to Zuniga, neither drugs nor alcohol are believed to be a factor in the crash which is under investigation.

This story was originally published March 10, 2022 at 3:39 PM.