RYE — The lofty status of lobsters has taken a hit this summer with the market bottoming out, resulting in the lowest prices in decades for the delicious crustacean. Following a cruel twist of fate on Ocean Boulevard, lobsters have hit a new low: Roadkill.

RYE — The lofty status of lobsters has taken a hit this summer with the market bottoming out, resulting in the lowest prices in decades for the delicious crustacean. Following a cruel twist of fate on Ocean Boulevard, lobsters have hit a new low: Roadkill.



A few lobsters perished after falling from a truck, making for a rare sight and putting lobster into a category normally reserved for animals like squirrels, skunks and raccoons.



Portsmouth resident Vergie Slover said she and her sister Evelyn Miller were driving home from Hampton Beach on Wednesday, when a Ray's Seafood Restaurant truck pulled out of Rye Harbor toting the lobsters.



“I was very shocked,” Slover said. “I couldn't believe it. I saw the whole thing happen. Me and my sister, we were like, 'Oh my god!' The lobsters were flying out of the truck; they were all over the road.”



Slover said two boxes fell from the back of the truck as it was pulling onto Ocean Boulevard. Slover estimated about 10 people, including her friend Maya LaChance, stopped to help pick up the lobsters. The group provided assistance for the two men in the truck from Ray's Seafood.



“We put the car in park, got out and started putting the lobsters back in the bucket,” Slover said.



Slover said the majority of the lobsters were still alive, and a few were “declawed” but still moving.



“They're catching so many lobsters this year, the truck was packed,” said Steve Chud, general manager of Ray's Seafood. Chud said most of the lobsters were not damaged.



“We only lost about 10 lobsters,” he said.



With lobster prices low, Chud said, business is booming.



“The restaurant has been a lot busier with lobster sales this year, that's for sure,” he said.



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