A truck carrying eels overturned on an Oregon highway, turning the coastal road into a slimy mess.

Police responded to the incident on Highway 101 after the truck was unable to stop when approaching road construction.

Police said the driver, Salvatore Tragale, was heading north with 13 containers holding 3,402 kilograms of hagfish, which are commonly known as slime eels.

The cars were covered in slime after the accident. ( Twitter: Depoe Bay Fire District )

As Mr Tragale approached the roadworks and tried to stop, one container flew off the truck bed and into the southbound lane, while the other containers spilled onto the highway, police said.

The flying container hit one vehicle which then caused it and four other vehicles to be pushed into each other.

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Police said the people in the vehicle hit by the container suffered minor injuries. No-one else was injured.

Oregon State Police posted a photo on Twitter that showed damaged cars covered by the gooey eels. The agency also posed the question: "What to tell the #drycleaner?"

Meanwhile, the Depoe Bay Fire Department posted a video of workers using a bulldozer to clear the eels from the highway.

"HWY 101 mp 131 just got slimed," they posted on Twitter.

Witness Erin Butler told FOX 12 the scene was unbelievable.

"We were like, 'What is that?' And then you realise, 'The poor eels.'

"They were writhing and slimy, and it was unbelievable, just unbelievable.

"It was disgusting. I will definitely never, ever eat eel."

Police said the eels were being transported to be shipped to Korea for consumption, the Oregonian reported.

When hagfish become stressed, they secrete a slime, which can be seen in the photos on the vehicles and on the highway.

The road reopened after the bulldozing and hosing it off was completed.

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ABC/AP