A terrifying pileup on Highway 99 in Central California has left a mother and daughter shaken after their car was trapped in the chaos. The devastating scene unfolded early Saturday morning as Yamel Angel and her mother navigated from Oxnard to the Central Valley.
As they drove north, Angel suddenly found herself in the middle of a massive 59-vehicle pileup. With no shoes on her feet, she sprinted out of the car and onto the grass, watching in horror as people stood frozen in the center divider, desperately trying to escape the wreckage. Video footage captured by Angel's phone shows widespread destruction, with cars mangled beyond recognition and debris strewn across the highway.
Angel described the scene as "like a nightmare come true," saying she was unable to process what was happening around her. "We just saw cars after cars crashing everywhere," she recounted. The second crash occurred on the opposite side of the highway, adding to the mayhem.
The Angel mother-daughter duo suffered injuries that required medical attention. Yamel Angel broke her hip and sustained head injuries, while her mother suffered a back injury. Despite the chaos, Angel reported seeing people trying to help each other in distress.
Dashcam footage shows a semi-truck losing control and slamming into the center median, adding fuel to the inferno. Kern County Crime Streams shared video that highlights just how thick the fog was at the time of the crashes, making it nearly impossible for drivers to see what was ahead.
Photos from the scene reveal the full extent of the damage, including a single tire wedged between two semis. Crews worked into the afternoon to haul away damaged vehicles, leaving behind a trail of destruction and trauma.
For Angel, the experience will forever be etched in her memory. "I've never experienced anything like this in my life," she said, shaking as she recounted her ordeal. The images and sounds from that morning have left her traumatized, with memories of screams and blood haunting her every waking moment.
As investigators and first responders worked to piece together the events leading up to the crash, one thing is clear: Highway 99 will never be the same again.
As they drove north, Angel suddenly found herself in the middle of a massive 59-vehicle pileup. With no shoes on her feet, she sprinted out of the car and onto the grass, watching in horror as people stood frozen in the center divider, desperately trying to escape the wreckage. Video footage captured by Angel's phone shows widespread destruction, with cars mangled beyond recognition and debris strewn across the highway.
Angel described the scene as "like a nightmare come true," saying she was unable to process what was happening around her. "We just saw cars after cars crashing everywhere," she recounted. The second crash occurred on the opposite side of the highway, adding to the mayhem.
The Angel mother-daughter duo suffered injuries that required medical attention. Yamel Angel broke her hip and sustained head injuries, while her mother suffered a back injury. Despite the chaos, Angel reported seeing people trying to help each other in distress.
Dashcam footage shows a semi-truck losing control and slamming into the center median, adding fuel to the inferno. Kern County Crime Streams shared video that highlights just how thick the fog was at the time of the crashes, making it nearly impossible for drivers to see what was ahead.
Photos from the scene reveal the full extent of the damage, including a single tire wedged between two semis. Crews worked into the afternoon to haul away damaged vehicles, leaving behind a trail of destruction and trauma.
For Angel, the experience will forever be etched in her memory. "I've never experienced anything like this in my life," she said, shaking as she recounted her ordeal. The images and sounds from that morning have left her traumatized, with memories of screams and blood haunting her every waking moment.
As investigators and first responders worked to piece together the events leading up to the crash, one thing is clear: Highway 99 will never be the same again.