Truck carrying ‘slime eels’ overturns, coating cars and highway

IT’S the stuff of nightmares. More than three tonnes of slime eels were dumped on a highway in the US after a truck crashed. See the extraordinary pictures.

A truck full of ‘slime eels’ overturns, coating cars and a highway. Picture: Oregon State Police.

A HIGHWAY in the United States has been covered in slime eels after a five-vehicle collision.

The truck carrying the creatures crashed on US Route 101 on the central Oregon coast after the driver, 59-year-old Salvatore Tragale, was unable to stop in time for construction work, the Oregon police said.

Thanks @OregonDOT pic.twitter.com/SmwHtWLeQ3

— Depoe Bay Fire Dist. (@DepoeBayFire) July 13, 2017

The truck was carrying three tonnes of hagfish in 13 different containers and the shift of weight caused one of them to come off the truck and “fly across the highway,” police said.

Animals involved in today's incident were hagfish!

— Depoe Bay Fire Dist. (@DepoeBayFire) July 13, 2017

Then all the other containers separated from the truck too and spilt onto the road.

No one was injured, according to police, but multiple cars were affected and one lane of the highway was closed while the clean-up took place.

HWY 101 mp 131 just got slimed. Fortunately no injuries. pic.twitter.com/jyBoZovzaz

— Depoe Bay Fire Dist. (@DepoeBayFire) July 13, 2017

Hagfish have a skull but no jaw or spine and they secrete slime when distressed, earning them the nickname “slime eels.”

The crates first struck a 2017 Nissan driven by Kim Randall, a 64-year-old from Arizona, reports The Oregonian .

In this heat... what is this going to start smelling like in the next few days?😳 pic.twitter.com/3FqSwXeSMP

— Oregon State Police (@ORStatePolice) July 13, 2017

Randall sustained minor injuries in the crash, but no one else was injured.

Eels, or hagfish, have a skull but no jaw or spine and they secrete slime when distressed, earning them the nickname “slime eels.”