Frozen fecal matter closes interstate exit ramp

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A load of excrement forced the closure of an interstate exit ramp in Indiana on Thursday.

Apparently a tanker accidentally spilled about 300 or 400 gallons of raw sewage onto the southbound Interstate 65 exit ramp to Indiana Highway 19, Indiana State Police Sgt. Kim Riley said, noting that the waste was 6 to 8 inches deep in places on the ramp.

As if that wasn't bad enough, the pooling excrement froze, causing a toxic poopsicle, as well as a traffic hazard.

Riley said troopers tried to find the driver of the truck but were unsuccessful. It is likely the driver won't even realize he lost the load until he gets to a wastewater treatment plant.

Meanwhile, crews from the Indiana Department of Transportation, Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the White County Health Department were on scene to supervise the cleanup of the mess.

By 5 p.m., DOT crews with a front loader were scraping the excrement off the road and loading it into a dump truck to cart away. But before the front loader could begin its work in earnest, the ramp had to be salted and sanded because the liquid waste had turned to ice.

The ramp re-opened a couple of hours later, Indiana State Police said.