Highway Covered in Alfredo Sauce After Truck Crashes: "You Can Smell It!"
Maybe the forecast had been “cloudy with a chance of chicken alfredo” the Tuesday a spill on the highway created more than a few cheesy headlines!
On Tuesday, August 30th, WHBQ-TV reported “an 18-wheeler crashed into a wall on the interstate, spilling Alfredo sauce and shutting down part of I-55 in the process Tuesday afternoon, according to Memphis Police.”
Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) stated that all traffic to the northbound area was shut down while crews were sent to clean up the slippery mixture of butter, heavy cream, spices, and Parmesan.
WHBQ-TV reporter Katie Bieri scooped everyone by following her nose on the story! Her Twitter headline reads, “You can smell it! Memphis police confirm a tractor-trailer carrying Alfredo sauce spilled on I-55 near Riverside Boulevard.”
Her video footage provides a long view of the saucy mess TDOT crews had to tackle, presumably NOT with spoons!
Looks like a challenging tow for these truck operators 😳 pic.twitter.com/tOfVx3JHQg
— Kate Bieri (@KateBieri) August 30, 2022
The New York Times reported it initially smelled great! But, only at first.
“In an interview Wednesday morning, Ms. Bieri said it did, indeed, smell great — ‘like we were at an Olive Garden’ — when she and Sam Hudson, a Fox 13 photographer, first arrived at about 5:40 p.m. She loves Alfredo sauce, she said.”
The reporter then added, “The white sauce on the road did not continue to smell great as the TV people waited along the highway to go live at 10:30 p.m. It took about an hour before it smelled ‘really bad,’ she said.”
Bieri also observed that it appeared to be quite a challenging job for towing crews sent to remove the 18-wheeler from the area. The side appeared to be sheered away like an open tuna can and the sides were slippery with the Alfredo.
Alfredo sauce gets its name from its inventor, chef Alfredo di Lelio. Created in the early 1900s, it’s still the featured dish at the chef’s restaurant in Rome.
It’s traditionally drizzled over fettuccine, chicken or vegetables though, not highways.
Just in case this news has made you a little hungry, here’s a recipe for Alfredo sauce you can make safely in your kitchen. But remember, let’s be careful out there!
