Published Wednesday, February 26, 2003
of spuds spills,
blocking I-80 for 2 hours
Traffic was held up for two hours Monday on Interstate 80 in East Lackawannock Township after a tractor-trailer dumped 42,500 pounds of potatoes across both eastbound lanes at 1 p.m. Monday, state police said.
The driver, Tommy Thao, 30, of Fresno, Calif., lost control of the rig on a curve, police said. The tractor-trailer jackknifed and hit the median, separating the trailer from the utility box. The trailer came to rest on its side in the median and the box split open and slid down the left lane, spilling the spuds, police said.
Thao, who was wearing his seat belt, suffered minor injuries, police said. The potatoes were on their way to Newark, N.J.