A van from an animal by-products processing firm spilled 'decaying pig guts' across the M62 and a residential street in West Yorkshire, leaving motorists 'traumatised'. Omega Protein, based in Halifax, has accepted full liability for the incident, which occurred on Wednesday, August 26.
Witness describes 'horror film' scene
Nicole McGinley, 28, who works in crisis intervention, said she was driving towards Stone Chair when she pulled up alongside the van. She initially mistook the piles of offal for 'dead bodies' lying in the road.
Nicole said: "It was everywhere. My partner was sick in the side of the car because the smell was so bad. You had to be there. Genuinely, it felt like something out of a horror film. All you could smell was death."
Road closures and clean-up
The spill triggered the closure of the westbound exit slip road at Junction 26 of the M62 at Hartshead Moor Top. National Highways confirmed the slip road reopened several hours later after a clean-up operation. Calderdale Council confirmed that Omega's team attended the scene in Hipperholme to clean the roads.
Despite the clean-up, Nicole said she remained 'traumatised' by the ordeal. She said: "I thought I was looking at dead naked bodies in the street. It's a smell and sight you don't forget."
Company response
A spokesperson for Omega Protein confirmed the spillage was 'accidental' and that the firm accepts 'full liability'. The spokesperson said: "I can confirm there was an accidental spillage. Our own team was immediately dispatched and a subcontracted road sweeper was ordered out to the site."
The spokesperson added: "The trailer was detoured to a nearby facility to be cleared up, tipped into another trailer to avoid further issues and then back on its way once it was in the condition to be on the road. Omega accepts liability for this event and operated quickly and efficiently to rectify."
