Turlock, CA :CHP investigates injury crash on Highway 99 near Turlock on Tuesday, July 7th 2015

A major injury crash involving a big rig closed northbound lanes of Highway 99 for more than an hour Tuesday morning. Traffic backed up into Merced County as two lanes of the freeway remained closed for several hours.The crash was reported at 9:51 a.m.California Highway Patrol Officer Eric Parsons said Tuesday afternoon that the front seat passenger of a Ford F-350 was pinned inside the vehicle and suffered major injuries.The Ford was hauling a travel trailer in the center lane in which Michael Thacker, 41, of Baker was illegally riding. The trailer also was full of tools and other construction equipment, Parsons said.As the Ford was passing a big rig that was in the slow lane, the driver lost control and the truck began to fishtail.It sideswiped the big rig, which veered right and crashed through a guardrail and partially down an embankment.The trailer overturned onto its side and the Ford landed on its roof, Parsons said.Firefighters had to use a hydraulic tool to free the passenger, William Thacker, 42, of Mira Loma. He was taken to a local hospital with major injuries.Michael Thacker suffered minor injuries inside the trailer. The driver of the Ford, Javier Zevada, 24, of Mira Loma, was not injured.The big rig driver, Jose Zavala, 31, of Livingston, was not injured.Drugs or alcohol do not appear to have been factors in the collision, Parsons said.Nails, screws, tools and other construction materials that spilled from the Ford and trailer scattered across the highway.All lanes were blocked for slightly more than an hour, after which the fast lane was opened. The center lane was opened about four hours later. As of 3:50 p.m., all lanes had been reopened.

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CHP investigates injury crash on Highway 99 near Turlock