Ten tonnes of salmon on M62: 'You don't see something like that every day!'
A LORRY lies on its side on the M62 after shedding ten tonnes of frozen salmon, causing large-scale disruption and lengthy tailbacks for morning commuters.
Police quickly set up diversions following yesterday's crash, which completely blocked the eastbound carriageway.
But dozens of motorists were still caught-up in queues between junction 34 (A19) at Selby and junction 35 (M18) at Langham.
They were met with the bizarre sight of fish next to the mangled 44-tonne refrigerated lorry.
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Philip Billham, 22, of east Hull, a passenger in a work van travelling on the westbound carriageway, tweeted a picture of the crash.
Mr Billham, a joiner who had been on his way to Nottingham to deliver school furniture, said: "You don't see something like that every day. I had to tweet it.
"We had heard about the accident on the radio and passed the scene a good three hours after it happened.
"But there was still a load of police around the lorry and lots of cars queued behind. It looked to me like complete chaos."
A forklift truck was hurried to the scene to help clear up the mess, enabling police to reopen the stretch.
A Humberside Police spokesman said the 47-year-old lorry driver was taken by ambulance to hospital with a head injury, although his life is not believed to be in danger.
"Officers were called at 2.45am to reports of a lorry having overturned on the M62 eastbound between junctions 34 and 35," said the spokesman.
"The lorry blocked the whole road and some of the frozen fish from the load also spread over on to the opposite carriageway."
The cause of the accident is not yet known.
• Gallery: Pictures of the spillage of frozen fish on the M62
12 Comments
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by hullbloke81_
Sunday, March 17 2013, 12:41PM
“I was caught up in the traffic because of the crash ,im a courier and it caused no end of problems trying to get around the area affected by the diversions in place.One road near drax power station was closed as well which you didnt know until you got to it which meant traveling back on your self and re joining the traffic jam. I dont understand why it took so long to clear it after all it was only one vehicle not a multiple pile up, no thought to the chaos which followed was given.Maybe the services were choosing the best salmon to take home before clearing it away.”
by archieboden
Saturday, March 16 2013, 2:55PM
“Why do some people insist on posting their comments 2 or 3 timesI am informed it is not the website.”
by AdPotentia
Saturday, March 16 2013, 2:41PM
“If this were any other police force they would have had the road reopened in an hour - not the drama queens at Bumbleside - got to ve dramatic and build up their part.
Investigation into the overtime bill please Mr Grove”
by deanog734
Saturday, March 16 2013, 10:55AM
“why was a van going to Nottingham from Hull driving past the A19 ?”
by Peabrain
Saturday, March 16 2013, 10:46AM
“There is no F in salmon.”
by Peabrain
Saturday, March 16 2013, 10:46AM
“There is no F in salmon.”
by Peabrain
Saturday, March 16 2013, 10:46AM
“There is no F in salmon.”
by mattyono
Saturday, March 16 2013, 9:34AM
“Something smells fishy to me.”
by themouseorgan
Saturday, March 16 2013, 9:25AM
“This is an example of the police having absolutely no idea or consideration for other road users. At 1.30pm I passed this going to Manchester (about 11 hrs after the accident I believe) the truck was on its side, there was no fish in sight but there were a lot of police and highways agency people standing around apparently doing nothing.
When I returned from Manchester diversion signs were showing the M62 still blocked and my sat nav diverted me over the Pennines via Sheffield and the M18 adding I would guess 60 miles and 90 minutes to my trip.
Using common sense, the truck and the fish could have been quickly moved to the hard shoulder, 1 or 2 lanes coned off and traffic allowed to flow. But no the police incompetently block the road, inconvenience travellers and cost businesses money - instead of getting back to my office yesterday afternoon, I made it home at 6.
The new police commissioner needs a word with these clowns - I believe it was within the Humberside Police area.”
by Sparta_
Saturday, March 16 2013, 9:20AM
“Had a similar incident when l lived in the States. Big truck overturned on the freeway carrying fish. Only difference is they only took under 2 hrs to clear it ... not 15hrs like this lot did. Freeway was also 3 laner like M62 but they kept one lane open for the traffic. Not in the UK though, they shut it off entirely!”