Semis Crash Sending Apples Everywhere & Closing I-82 Near Zillah

It was a mess all over I-82 after two semis collided sending a truckload of apples all over the highway.

Semi's Collide on I-82 Near Zillah Washington

The Washington State Patrol is reporting that two semis were in an accident on I-82 near Zillah Washington on Friday, January 27, 2023. The Washington State Patrol says that a Keywest semi lost control, rolled, and collided with another semi hauling apples. At the scene, the engine of the Keywest semi-truck reportedly caught on fire according to Big Country news Connection, and had to be put out by fire crews.

Apples Everywhere on I-82

The accident spread apples all over both lanes going westbound on I-82, closing the highway near milepost 49 for cleanup. While the cleanup was underway, Washington State Patrol set up a temporary detour for traffic to go around the area on the Yakima Valley Highway.

How Many Apples Spilled on I-82 Near Zillah?

There was not an official count released by authorities, but anyone that witnessed the scene would say tens of thousands of apples. I am not an apple expert but I did make an attempt at calculating the amount because I was curious. I went to EnzaFruit to see how many apples they offered in a box. They had multiple examples, but I picked one I thought I could estimate a close number by viewing the product picture. The Maxi-Z Pack looks like it has around 30-35 apples per box and the website says that you can order 42 boxes per pallet.

Calculating the Number of Apples

In order to know how many apples can be carried inside the bed of a semi-trailer, you have to know how big it is. The website ATS Inc says that a regular semi-truck dry trailer should hold between 28 and 30 pallets of product. If each box carries between 30-35 apples and you can get 42 boxes of apples per pallet, that equals about 1,260 apples per pallet. If each semi-trailer can hold at least 28 pallets, that equals to 35,280 apples potentially could have been all over the highway. That also equals on huge gigantic mess.