Two lanes of the northbound I-5 past Camp Pendleton were closed Tuesday morning, resulting in major slowing near Las Pulgas.
The closure was a result of two big rigs colliding, scattering debris, diesel and tomatoes across the freeway. The lanes reopened at about 10:30 a.m.
At around 1 a.m. the driver of a big rig carrying 37,000 pounds of tomatoes reached down to grab a soda and then swerved to the right, slamming into a Fed-Ex truck, CHP officials said.
CHP Officer Chris Parent said it was amazing that no one was injured.
Caltrans unloaded the 37,000 pounds of tomatoes one pallet at a time, wrapping them and reloading them into another truck. That is why the lanes took so long to reopen, Parent said.
