A Sticky Disaster: Tons of Molten Chocolate Spills on Polish Motorway

Hold the fresh strawberries and fondue sticks. A Polish six-lane highway is covered with 24 tons of hot melted chocolate after a truck carrying the delicious molten dessert collided with a traffic barrier early in the morning and overturned on A2 motorway connecting the Polish cities of Wrzesnia and Slupca.

The accident led to a massive spillage of edible brown goo that coated the entire six-lane motorway, bringing the traffic to a sudden standstill. Quite the sticky situation for early morning commuters, wouldn’t you agree?

24 Tons of Liquid Gold

It was a scene out of a chocoholic’s pre-lunch daydreams when a Polish motorway with six lanes was completely coated with melted, hot chocolate after a massive lorry carrying 24 tons of the liquid goodness overturned in the early hours of the morning. The scary road accident occurred after the transport vehicle collided with a traffic barrier and in the town of Slupca. The truck driver sustained several injuries including a broken arm from crashing into the roadside railings. Luckily, no one else was affected by the accident.

After the driver was driven off to the nearest hospital, the police and fire brigade were immediately called to clear the motorway which was now covered with a thick layer of liquid chocolate. By the time authorities arrived, it was already too late and the molten chocolate had cooled down, forming a hard shell on the road. The dessert liquid had spread over all six lanes of the A2 Motorway, making traffic in both directions come to a sudden halt.

A Cleanup Dilemma

A senior fire brigadier present at the scene said that the situation was worse than snow and would require tons of hot water to melt and wash away the pesky sweet treat stuck to the busy motorway

At the time of the accident, the highway traffic was at its minimum but as hours went by and the morning commuters approached the sticky A2 motorway, the traffic jams became much worse, with many people impatiently waiting to cross the highway for hours. At least those who were stuck in the jam were able to breathe in the delicious scent of chocolate wafting from the road, which was somewhat helpful in easing the inconvenience.

The chocolate manufacturer responsible for the delicious catastrophe was contacted by relevant authorities regarding the motorway’s cleanup. TVN24 asked the confectionery owner for any advice on scrubbing off the pool of molten chocolate which had now solidified on A2’s asphalt – we imagine, the company did not take this disastrous situation into consideration when whipping up the chocolate recipe. TVN24 told the news reporters that out of all the food spillage disasters that have occurred on motorways in the past, the latest bizarre cleanup dilemma is the worst they have had to face so far.

A More Serious Problem in Trucking Industry

The chocolate manufacturing company in question suggested blasting the affected areas with high-pressure hot water but the cleanup could last for several hours, making the motorway traffic jam even worse. Until now, the authorities have been making use of shovels to scoop off the liquid goo from the highway but the process became agonizingly difficult for cleaners after the chocolate began to solidify. Soon, mechanical shovels were brought in for the cleaning task, but most of the chocolate remained stuck between the asphalt.

Internet users had mixed feelings about the creamy disaster. While some chocolate lovers were equally delighted and astonished by the incident, others were outraged by the fact that so much delicious chocolate had gone to waste.

The lightheartedness with which the accident has been reported by news publications has overlooked a major problem in the trucking industry which is at the core of these wasteful disasters: sleep deprived and overworked truck drivers. Moreover, inadequate salary and work benefits have created a huge shortage of experienced truck drivers, leaving the transportation job up to the novice, which leads to an increased risk of accidents on the road.

Most of the damage from spillage accidents, apart from the physical and psychological trauma sustained by the driver, is covered by the insurance companies. Truck drivers are also required to get liability coverage of up to $5 million depending on the type of cargo they are transporting.