/ 17 August 2004

Pesky wasp triggers marmalade mishap

A pesky wasp triggered an accident on a German superhighway when a driver lost control of his lorry and spilled 15 tons of marmalade jars on the road, police reported on Tuesday.

In the accident on the A1 autobahn near Greven in north-western Germany late on Monday, the 49-year-old driver lost control of his lorry when he tried to shoo away a wasp that had flown into the cab.

The lorry crashed into the pillar of a bridge, while the marmalade jars were spilled on to the highway.

The damage was estimated at €100 000. The driver was unharmed. — Sapa-DPA