FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Melissa Culver is one of at least two dozen people who were involved in the deadly multi-vehicle crash on Highway 99 in Fresno on Sunday morning.<\/p>\n
Action News spoke with her and says she’s just thankful to be alive and hug her children<\/p>\n
“Out of nowhere, just this thick layer of fog,” she says. “And then a rattle and a sense of disbelief, and before composure can ever step in, yet again, it is another rattle, bang, all over the place, what just happened, and then on repeat.”<\/p>\n
It was a moment that felt endless for Culver and her husband as they made their way to church.<\/p>\n
Their now crushed blue Hyundai was one of the 17 vehicles involved in a crash.<\/p>\n
Melissa says they were very aware of the foggy conditions but never expected to be in the middle of a pile-up, “We ended up in a side-facing position, and I believe impact 3 through 7 were all on my husband’s side.”<\/p>\n
Melissa has bruises on her forearms and chest from her seatbelt. Her ribs are sore and she’s experiencing whiplash.<\/p>\n
Her husband also has bruises with several minor cuts.<\/p>\n
They were safe but one couple involved in the pileup was not.<\/p>\n
The CHP says the man and woman had gotten out of their car, which was struck by another car.<\/p>\n
61-year-old Gustavo Villanueva Vargas died at the scene and his wife is in the hospital.<\/p>\n
“He was thrown about 30 feet to the right shoulder. And the driver was thrown over the embankment, 40 feet,” says CHP Officer Mike Salas.<\/p>\n
Investigators say the fog was a factor in the crash, with visibility estimated between 10 and 15 feet.<\/p>\n
Culver is now looking at life with a different perspective: “Seeing the children for the first time was surreal, filled with hope, super thankful to be able to come home to them.”<\/p>\n
Action News also spoke on the phone with the man who was driving the big rig.<\/p>\n
He said he had never experienced such a quick transition from daylight to dense fog on the highway and is still shaken up.<\/p>\n
CHP is urging drivers to be careful on the road.<\/p>\n
The crash is an ongoing investigation.<\/p>\n
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