Seeing red: Another tomato spill snarls traffic on California freeway for 2nd time in week

ELK GROVE, Calif. — For the second time in a week, commuters on a Northern California freeway are seeing red.

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A truck carrying tomatoes spilled on a Northern California freeway near Sacramento on Friday, covering the highway in a red paste and causing major traffic delays, The Sacramento Bee reported.

The spill occurred on the southbound lane of Interstate 5 in Elk Grove near the Elk Grove Boulevard off-ramp, KOVR-TV reported. According to the California Highway Patrol’s online activity log, a trailer carrying the fruit detached from a truck around 7:45 a.m. PDT, The Bee reported.

Officials with the Cosumnes Fire Department said firefighters were dispatched to the scene, but that no injuries were reported, according to the newspaper. Fire officials tweeted photos showing tomatoes strewn across both lanes and shoulders of southbound I-5.

On Monday, another truck carting a massive load of tomatoes overturned near Interstate 80 near Vacaville. Authorities said approximately 50,000 pounds of tomatoes were spilled in Monday’s incident, The Bee reported.

It is unclear what led to the crash, KOVR reported. A sedan, along with the tractor-trailer, were involved. According to the California Highway Patrol, there were no injuries reported.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, California’s Central Valley produced more than 11 million tons of tomatoes during 2020, the television station reported.

While the tomato spill on Monday caused long delays for motorists, at least one driver kept his sense of humor.

“I’m stuck in traffic,” a viewer posted on KTVU’s Instagram page on Monday. “Y’all go ahead and I’ll ketchup.”

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