San Francisco, California—Traffic ground to a halt Tuesday afternoon following a violent multi-vehicle collision on Highway 101. The accident involved three passenger vehicles and a commercial transport truck. First responders found the scene littered with debris, forcing a total closure of the southbound lanes.

One victim was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical technicians. Several others sustained injuries ranging from minor lacerations to critical trauma. Ambulances transported the wounded to local trauma centers for immediate surgery.

California Highway Patrol officers spent hours mapping the impact points to understand how the collision initiated. The truck appeared to have jackknifed while attempting to avoid a slow-moving vehicle ahead. This caused a chain reaction that sent other cars careening into the center divider.

The wreckage blocked the entire freeway during the peak of the afternoon commute. Thousands of motorists remained trapped in gridlock for hours as investigators cleared the lanes. Some commuters abandoned their vehicles on the shoulder to find alternate transport, though police discouraged this for safety reasons.

Heavy equipment was brought in to remove the semi-truck from the median. Crews worked under high temperatures to pull the crushed sedans from underneath the trailer. The highway finally partially reopened once the last of the vehicles were cleared from the roadway.

Witnesses provided statements to police detailing how the truck swerved across multiple lanes before the impact. Investigators are now reviewing electronic logs from the commercial truck to check speed and braking data. They are also looking for any evidence of distracted driving among the other involved parties.

This section of the highway has a history of high-speed accidents due to merging congestion. Department of Transportation officials have been contacted regarding the safety of this specific exit. The lanes remain restricted as paving crews repair the damaged guardrails.

Traffic flow is slowly returning to normal, though long delays persist across the coastal route. Detectives are still piecing together the final moments before the first impact.