Some road hazards you can prepare for. Potholes, debris, the occasional tire tread flapping in the wind. But a semitruck spilling 40,000 pounds of hot sauce across the highway is not something most drivers have on their bingo card. That is exactly what happened on Interstate 71 in northern Delaware County, Ohio, when a trailer full of Frank’s RedHot started leaking as it rolled north around 5 p.m. on June 30.
The truck did not stop right away. It continued on until it pulled off at a Pilot truck stop near the U.S. 36 and State Route 37 exit, leaving a trail of hot sauce behind it the whole way. Fire crews had to essentially follow the scent, and probably the shine, to figure out where the truck had gone.
Once crews caught up with it, the real work began. Hot sauce is acidic, and nobody wanted it washing into storm drains and eventually into local waterways. So instead of hosing it off like a normal spill, firefighters set up containment pools and used hazmat equipment to keep the sauce contained while the Ohio EPA was looped in.
It is a strange scene to picture. A stretch of interstate covered in bright red sauce, cars rolling through it before anyone even knew what was going on, and a fire department treating a condiment spill with the same seriousness as any other hazardous material call. But that is exactly what it took to keep the situation from getting worse.
What Happened to All That Hot Sauce
Berkshire, Sunbury, Trenton & Galena Fire Chief Chris Kovach explained that crews tracked the leak from the highway all the way to the truck stop where it finally came to rest.
Cleanup was left in the hands of the trucking company, which will need to hire a cleanup crew to deal with the mess left behind on the roadway.
The Aftermath for Drivers
This is where things get less funny for the people whose cars ended up coated in hot sauce. Kovach noted that the substance is apparently a nightmare to clean off a vehicle. One driver posted on a local Facebook page that she had already spent $30 on car washes and the sauce was still clinging on.
If your car has ever been hit with bug guts on a summer road trip, you have some idea of the stubbornness we are talking about here, just spicier.
Could There Be a Citation
The Ohio State Highway Patrol has the ability to cite the trucking company for an insecure load, though no citation had been issued as of the latest update.
Lt. Robert Curry noted that drivers whose vehicles were damaged can pursue compensation through their own insurance.
A Spill People Will Be Talking About
The fire department’s Facebook post about the spill drew plenty of reactions, with many finding humor in the situation while also recognizing the real cost for drivers stuck cleaning sauce out of their paint and trim.
It is a reminder that even a routine highway drive can turn into an unexpected story, sauce included.