Things got a little gooey on an Oregon highway yesterday afternoon when a truck spilled its load of 7,500 pounds of slime eels on the roadway, resulting in a four vehicle chain reaction crash.
Construction Zone Crash Coats Highway In Oozy Eels
The incident happened yesterday afternoon in Depoe Bay, Oregon, on Highway 101. Truck driver Salvatore Tragale was hauling a load of 13 containers of hagfish (also known as slime eels) north on the highway when he came upon a construction zone. Tragale hit his brakes, which sent one container of the hagfish into the southbound lanes while the other containers spilled out near his truck.
Thanks @OregonDOT pic.twitter.com/SmwHtWLeQ3
— Depoe Bay Fire Dist. (@DepoeBayFire) July 13, 2017
One of the containers hit a southbound car, causing a four vehicle crash.
Only one minor injury was reported.
Cleanup of the crash was challenging because, as the Oregon DOT noted, “When Hagfish become stressed, they secrete a slime, which can be seen in photos on the vehicles in the highway.”
Crews used construction equipment and fire hoses to clear the wriggling oozy mess off of the highway.
The hagfish were bound for Korea, where they are a popular dish and considered by Korean men to be an aphrodisiac.
