A worker picks grapes for wine production in San Benito County. More than 6,000 gallons of fresh wine went to waste Wednesday when a truck overturned and spilled most of it into a dry creek bed.
A truck loaded with 6,400 gallons of red wine overturned south of Paicines on Wednesday afternoon, spilling most of the cargo into a gutter that drained into a dry creek, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The accident happened about 1 p.m. Wednesday, when the Paso Robles-based distribution truck ran off the east edge of Highway 25 and overturned, according to a CHP press release. The tank ruptured, and nearly 5,000 gallons of wine spilled into the gutter and moved about 350 feet into a dry creek, according to the CHP.
The vehicle's driver, a 31-year-old Paso Robles man, sustained a broken arm and cuts to his legs, said Officer Matt Peters, a CHP spokesman for the area.
Aside from the emergency response, the county's environmental health division went out as well. But since the wine is considered a food product, health officials decided to let it dissipate without further cleanup.
Environmental health specialist Ray Stevenson explained that the division typically responds to hazardous materials spills such as those involving fuel. He noted how despite there being alcohol involved, it absorbed almost immediately so there was no risk for fire.
"It wasn't a problem with us," Stevenson said.
Additionally, since the creek is not flowing, the state fish and game department did not consider it a hazardous materials site, according to the CHP.
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