A northbound big rig collided with a black Mazda RX7 on Highway 99 and Lathrop Road at 5:30 p.m. Friday and ended up resting on the eastside Frontage Road.

The crash closed the right hand freeway lane creating a massive traffic tie-up just as commute traffic was winding  down and weekend traffic started picking up.

The CHP said the truck’s trailer was loaded with some 33,000 pounds of grocery products. The driver sustained minor injuries in the crash.  Two women from the second vehicle were reported to have minor injuries and were found walking on the freeway near Northland Road by firefighters.

Manteca Police units were requested to aid in shutting down the Frontage Road at Lathrop Road.

Caltrans staffers were called out to set up warning signs to alert traffic to the collision and to the resulting backup of traffic on the freeway.  They were also called to repair the freeway fencing that had been damaged. 

Two of the injured were transported to a hospital by ambulance some 30 minutes after the crash.  The northbound Frontage Road near the onramp to Highway 99 from Lathrop Road was closed to traffic.