Thousands of Nails Mean Flat-Out Mess on Highway

A mysterious spill-and-run driver really nailed ‘em on California 99 last night and this morning.

Somewhere between Tulare and Earlimart, a truck carrying an unusually sharp cargo accidentally dumped about 60,000 nails in the northbound lanes of the heavily traveled highway.

Predictably, this caused a bit of trouble.

Between 40 and 100 automobiles and trucks pulled up lame with flat tires, according to the California Highway Patrol. Some cars had two or three flats. One 18-wheel truck-trailer rig had eight flats--possibly a new world’s record.

The accident occurred about 9:30 p.m. Thursday, when a truck-trailer rig carrying a cargo of nails hit a bump and a dozen boxes of nails bounced off the trailer and onto the highway. Each box contained 5,000 nails.

The 2-inch nails were Teflon-coated, which makes it easier for them to be pounded into wood--or to puncture tires.

Within a very short time, the night was filled with the hisses of deflating tires and the curses of enraged drivers.

“CHP units helped 30 to 40 drivers who had flat tires, and just about every tow truck for miles around was called out to change flats and tow away cars and trucks that had more than one flat tire,” one officer reported.

Caltrans, U.S. Forestry Service fire crews and CHP officers swept the nails off the roadway. It took until 1:20 a.m. this morning to clean up the mess.

Except for flaring tempers and tire damage, the accident caused no other injuries.

The CHP said the spill-and-run driver, who may not have been aware of the trouble he caused, is still being sought.