Section of PA highway went bananas as truck carrying fruits overturned, closed road

A section of U.S. Route 322 near the Oak Hall Exit was closed for several hours early Thursday morning after a crash involving a tractor-trailer hauling bananas.

Boalsburg Fire Company responded to the crash at about 1 a.m. along with Alpha Fire Company, which directed traffic from the ramps and exits. Everything was cleared by 5:30 a.m., Boalsburg Fire Chief Van Winter said.

No injuries were reported in the crash. The trailer did require three tow trucks to remove, but the bananas themselves were mostly contained. Winter said only about 10 bananas total fell from a small corner where the guardrail ripped through the refrigerated trailer’s insulation.

“You just imagine seeing all these bananas over the road and people slipping n’ sliding and falling around you ... but no,” Winter said.

Centre Region Emergency Management was called and PennDOT took over traffic control at around 3:30 a.m., Winters said.

This story was originally published March 16, 2023 at 2:04 PM.