It could have been the makings of a great party. All that was missing was the salsa, some limes and a rather huge bag of chips early Monday after a big-rig carrying 16,000 pounds of avocados overturned along northbound Highway 101 in San Mateo.
But likely no one was in the mood to celebrate when, hours later, the load of leathery fruit was still blocking three lanes of traffic on the freeway, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The truck and two vehicles were involved in a collision about 3:40 a.m. in northbound lanes of the freeway near the Third Avenue offramp.
One person complained of pain, but no other injuries were reported. It’s not known what caused the collision, CHP Officer Sophie Lu said.
As of 8:30 a.m., crews were working to get the big-rig back on its wheels so it could be cleared from the road. The first three lanes remained blocked, but traffic continued to flow in the two right lanes.
Most of the truck’s load was saved, but some avocados perished in the collision, the CHP said.
Bay City News staff writer Kathleen Kirkwood contributed to this story.