A collision between two tractor-trailers on Interstate 40 in central Arkansas on Thursday caused at least one of them to catch fire and spilled Fireball whiskey across the highway, snarling traffic in both directions for hours.
The crash occurred west of the Kerr exit before 10:45 a.m., shutting both lanes for more than two hours. The westbound highway didn't fully reopen for more than 12 hours.
Trooper Liz Chapman, a spokeswoman for Arkansas State Police, said injuries were reported in the crash, though they were not believed to be serious. There were conflicting reports on whether one or both trucks caught fire.
[GALLERY: Click here for photos from the scene]
In addition to the whiskey, one truck spilled "produce of some sort," and at least one of them leaked diesel fuel onto the highway, Chapman said.
Photos released by the Arkansas Department of Transportation showed the cab of one truck heavily damaged by fire and miniature bottles of Fireball Whiskey strewn across the lanes. The agency tweeted at 11:55 a.m. that crews will "be working this for a while."
It's at least the third time alcohol has been spilled on I-40 in less than a year. Whiskey spilled onto the highway in Lonoke County on Aug. 2, and an 18-wheeler on March 2 lost a load of Seagram's gin at the Interstate 40 westbound interchange to Interstate 540 in Sebastian County.
Another central Arkansas highway — Interstate 30 — was the scene of a crash that spilled frozen pizzas across the lanes last August.