An 18-wheeler carrying an estimated 40,000 pounds of limes flipped just south of downtown San Antonio and caused a major traffic mess early Thursday morning.
San Antonio police said the accident occurred just after 3 a.m. at the Interstate 37 South-Highway 90/Interstate 10 West interchange.
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Police said the driver of the 18-wheeler took the ramp from Interstate 37 North to Interstate 10 West too fast, and lost control of the rig around a curve.
The driver was OK and a man in the truck's sleeper cabin suffered minor injuries. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.
The limes left a big mess inside the trailer of the truck that contract crews cleared from the scene.
"If it's not condemned, then we'll have to hand-unload it. If not, we'll just get some dumpsters out here and dispose of it," said Leon Hollins, owner of Hollins Freight Handlers, the company hired at the trucking company's expense to clear the road.
The limes were not considered safe to eat, so the freight crew loaded them into a dumpster. The clean-up was a big, sticky mess that required extra caution.
"It has condensation on the trailer, so it's a little slippery and a little dangerous for the men," Hollins said.
He noted that the floral, sweet smell of limes beat some of the other messes his crew has cleared.
"It's all got to be done, but we did one (job where we had to clear) some onions, and it was 100 degrees, and that wasn't very pleasant," Hollins said.
He admits there were a lot of men crying on that job.
With the lime clean-up, the crew just joked about the tequila and beer that would be missing their mates.
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