11 injured in foggy 15-car pileup
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Heavy fog and low visibility contributed to a 15-car pileup in this small southwest Kern County community early Friday. Eleven people were injured, several of them seriously, authorities said.
The chain-reaction accident began about 8:10 a.m. when a big rig truck heading south off an Interstate 5 offramp tried to turn left at a stop sign onto California 166, said the California Highway Patrol.
The truck driver -- who told authorities he was having difficulty seeing through dense fog -- had begun to make the turn and his trailer was still blocking lanes when drivers heading west on California 166 began slamming on their brakes to avoid hitting him.
A series of accidents followed. The most serious involved another big rig and a vehicle carrying five people, three of whom were riding in the back seat without seat belts.
The road has since been cleared, Caltrans officials said.
-- Susannah Rosenblatt
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