80,000-pound truck carrying lettuce overturns in San Mateo

SAN MATEO, Calif. - A 80,000-pound tractor trailer carrying a load of lettuce overturned in San Mateo late Monday night causing a fire and a portion of the highway to be closed for hours.

"That's a lot of lettuce with no ranch dressing or croutons," California Highway Patrol Sgt. Chris Cavner said Tuesday morning. 

The transition to eastbound state Highway 92 finally reopened about 7:30 p.m., about eight hours after the rig overturned on the ramp heading northbound U.S. Highway 101 to westbound state Highway 92. It took several tow trucks and many hands to upright the massive rig. 

Cavner officials said no one was injured when the truck overturned about 10:30 p.m. Monday. The only assumption at this point, he said, was that the driver was going too fast. 

As for the lettuce? Cavner said it's  up to the company to sell, destroy or redistribute the leafy greens.