Five people were killed when a pickup truck they were riding in collided head-on with a big rig on a Central California highway, authorities said.
The crash occurred after 9 p.m. Tuesday when the pickup crossed over from northbound lanes to the southbound side of Interstate 5 near Firebaugh, California Highway Patrol spokeswoman Shasta Tollefson said.
The truck burst into flames and the big rig, carrying cardboard, also caught fire, causing damage to the road, the Fresno Bee reported.
A portion of the southbound lanes was closed for hours and traffic was rerouted on a 33-mile detour as the CHP investigated the accident and the California Department of Transportation evaluated the condition of the road.
Drivers within the crash investigation scene were unable to leave for several hours, the CHP said.