A large number of tomatoes are scattered on the entire highway in California after the truck that brought them collided with two vehicles, turned and crashed into the middle median, according to the New York Times. More than 150,000 tomatoes spilled on the road that caused traffic chaos in Intertate 80 in Vacaville, the outlet said further. The cargo covered by the east lane of the highway is around 200 feet and created a red mass that is around “depth of two legs”, according to California Highway Patrol.The accident occurred around 5 am on Monday. The drivers who pass the road cannot detect tomatoes and go on it, destroy their fruit and create sticky ingredients, according to NYT reports.
“The tomato skin, friend,” Nyt quoted Jason Tyhurst officers from the highway patrol. “Once they crashed into the asphalt, it was like walking on ice.” I’m just happy there is no death because it can easily become death,” he added. Mashed tomato spills cause seven cars to fall on the highway because it was closed, according to the BBC. California Highway Patrol said that three people received minor injuries and the fourth were treated in hospitals with broken legs, the outlet said further.
It took a few hours for the authorities to open the stretch of the highway after the cleaning operation. California produced more than 90 percent of the United States processed tomatoes and almost half of processed global tomatoes, according to the country’s tomato planting association. The accident occurred during the California tomato season, where the truck used the 80 Intertate to transport fruit to the Bay Area and Sacramento.