Carrots spill on roadway in minor-injury crash in Merced County

A tractor-trailer rig carrying a load of carrots crashed on Highway 99 near Delhi on Tuesday, shutting down two southbound lanes for several hours and creating a stew of problems for motorists.

The crash happened just after 9 a.m. north of Winton Parkway when a Freightliner hit the back of a 2008 Toyota Yaris at “high speed,” causing the tractor-trailer to tip over, the California Highway Patrol reported.

According to CHP officials, the driver of the Toyota, 69-year-old Norberto Parreira Costa of Hilmar, saw the Freightliner approaching him from the rear at high speed. He attempted to steer to the right but was struck from behind, causing him to come to a stop on the right shoulder. The Freightliner was pulling two trailers filled with 25 tons of carrots, officials said.

The driver of the Freightliner, Daniel Garcia Ramirez, 31, of Cantua Creek, suffered minor injuries, including cuts to his face and hands, CHP Sgt. Gerardo Serrato said. The driver of the Toyota was not reported to have been injured.

The Freightliner owned by the Gilroy-based company Trans Valley Transport was hauling carrots from Manteca to Bakersfield.

The spill slowed traffic for more than five hours, with lanes reopening by the afternoon, CHP officials confirmed.

This story was originally published October 27, 2015 at 11:19 AM with the headline "Carrots spill on roadway in minor-injury crash in Merced County."