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The American highways have had a rough week. On Tuesday, a semi-truck in Tennessee spilled jars of alfredo sauce across several lanes, causing chaos and a difficult cleanup. A truck crashed into a highway median in California the day before, scattering more than 150,000 tomatoes across several lanes of busy Interstate 80.
The tomato spill occurred early Monday morning in Vacaville, California, when the truck transporting the fruit collided with another vehicle. According to The New York Times, the truck collided with another vehicle before colliding with the median, causing the tomatoes to spill into the oncoming lanes.
Unwary drivers drove through the spill, crushing the fruit into a slick paste that caused cars to skid. Several vehicles were involved in spill-related accidents. According to California Highway Patrol Officer Jason Tyhurst, the truck driver and two other people were injured in the incident. A fourth person’s leg was broken. According to Tyhurst, the incident could have easily resulted in a fatality.
The California Highway Patrol was forced to close the highway in both directions for several hours due to the crash. The tomatoes were cleared from the eastbound lanes by 11:30 a.m. Monday, more than six hours after the crash, according to the Los Angeles Times. Crews cleaned up the greasy dirt, tomato, and oil mixture with an absorbent powder. One westbound lane, however, remained closed until around 3 p.m. as cleanup crews worked to remove the semi-truck.
Solano County, where the accident occurred, is a major tomato producer, and the California Highway Patrol has dealt with similar spills. However, Tyhurst told the New York Times that they are more common on less-traveled roads in the area.
Although there were no injuries in Tennessee, the oily sauce caused slick road conditions. There have been numerous strange spills over the years, with beer, sardines, skittles, Deadpool comics, and printer ink all ending up on the road. Those are some strange and disorganised cleanups.
Sources: The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, California Highway Patrol / Twitter
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