Local

Sweet potatoes spill on I-4 following tractor-trailer crash

ORLANDO, Fla. — All the lanes are open on I-4 westbound near the 408 Expressway after a crash involving a tractor-trailer Thursday morning had shut the roadway down, according to WFTV traffic reporter Racquel Asa.

Officials said the tractor-trailer carrying sweet potatoes crashed and caught on fire, spilling the potatoes and fuel on the roadway.

The driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured, police said.

A car was also involved in the crash, but the driver was not injured.

Westbound I-4 traffic was stopped in its tracks Thursday morning as the big rig crashed and burned, leaving a trail of sweet potatoes strewn about the road.

The cab of the truck was left charred, but the driver was only slightly injured.

Firefighters were able to quickly put out the flames, but the damage was done. The roadway was covered in sweet potatoes and slick diesel fuel, while police investigated how it all happened.

“Possibly a combination of both it was early this morning. He could have been sleepy, lost control. The roads were wet,” said Orlando Fire Department District Chief Mike Droege. “I thought easily we could have had a fatality here and more cars involved, luckily, there wasn't a lot of vehicles right behind this truck when it happened.”