A 52-year-old truck driver crashed his melon-laden semi-trailer into a tree on Sunday afternoon near Wiefelstede in northwestern Germany, scattering roughly 22 tonnes of fruit across an adjacent field after the vehicle left the road.
The driver registered a breath alcohol level of 4.09 per mille, police said, roughly ten times the legal driving limit in Germany. The impact tore open the truck's loading tailgate, sending the entire cargo onto farmland in the Neuenkruge area of Ammerland district. He was taken to hospital by ambulance with minor injuries, and police confiscated his licence on the spot.
The road was closed for approximately eight hours during cleanup operations. Police said they are investigating the driver on suspicion of endangering road traffic. The total damage is estimated in the mid six-figure range, authorities added.