San Francisco, May 23 (IANS): At least three people died and five others were injured after a chain-reaction crash on Highway 101 in Sunnyvale, US state of California, the California Highway Patrol said.

The crash involving six vehicles happened just after midnight. A northbound pickup truck crashed into the centre median wall "for an undetermined reason at this time," officials said early Monday morning.

Four other cars then collided with the pickup truck. As three drivers got out of their cars, another car crashed into them, pushing two cars over the centre median wall into the southbound lanes, according to the officials.

Five injured were taken to local hospital. The crash was under investigation and the victims' identities were not yet available, Xinhua news agency reported.

Northbound and southbound lanes were reopened after being closed for around nine hours, according to the California Department of Transportation.