All lanes of U.S. Highway 101 in Sunnyvale reopened this morning,nearly nine hours after a deadly early morning chain-reaction wreck killed three people and sent five others to the hospital.

The fatal multi-vehicle collision was reported about 12:30am on northbound 101 just south of Fair Oaks Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The CHP said the crash was triggered when a Ford pickup truck traveling north struck the center divider and came to a stop, blocking some northbound lanes. Other cars then hit the pickup and also stopped in the northbound lanes.

Three people got out of the cars and were standing nearby when another vehicle collided with them, causing two to be thrown into southbound lanes, where another vehicle struck them, according CHP spokesman Officer Ross Lee.

A total of six vehicles were involved in the chain reaction.

Both directions were closed to traffic after the crash, but the freeway had fully reopened by 9:10am.

Northbound traffic was diverted onto Lawrence Expressway during the closure. Southbound vehicles were diverted onto N. Mathilda Avenue.