PITTSBURGH — A flood of gooey black muck that dropped from a tanker truck disabled about 150 cars and damaged an unknown number of other vehicles along a nearly 40-mile stretch of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, officials said.
A leaking valve on a tanker spread driveway sealant over the eastbound lanes of a long stretch of the turnpike between New Castle and the Oakmont Service Plaza on Tuesday night, turnpike spokesman Bill Capone said.
Some state police and turnpike maintenance vehicles had to be towed away after getting stuck in the tarlike substance, according to the turnpike operations center.
Traffic was moving normally by Wednesday morning, but the sticky mess had already hindered the travel plans of some motorists traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Laura Frick told WTAE-TV she was traveling from Cleveland to New Jersey for the holiday.
“Now we have to turn around and go back home,” Frick said. “It’s horrible.”
The Associated Press
