Truck hauling chicken waste spills load on interstate causing holiday traffic backups

Credit: Walter, Haley (CMG-Charlotte)

Credit: Walter, Haley (CMG-Charlotte)

Major traffic delays formed on eastbound Interstate 40 in Burke County, North Carolina, after a truck hauling chicken waste spilled some of its load on the roadway.

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Burke County EMS was at the scene of several crashes when the truck carrying 70,000 pounds of chicken waste slammed on its brakes.

Department of Transportation officials said the right lane was closed near Exit 116 (Old North Highway 10) near Connelly Springs.

One of those first responders was knocked to the ground when the waste came flying out of the big rig.

Lenoir Houston showed the inside of his car where some of the chicken waste landed. He has responded to more than 1,000 crashes as part of Burke REACT.

The organization helps direct traffic around crashes.

Houston was hit by the waste from the truck.

“I didn’t see it,” he said. “It knocked me down like this. I was reaching here, like this, and when it hit me, it just knocked me down.”

The truck had left Case Farms in Morganton.

The driver said he had tried to avoid another car that had stopped on the interstate for the other accidents.

An ambulance and firetruck that were already at the scene also got hit by the airborne waste.

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