WORLD NEWS | In Denmark, potatoes on Key Bridge wreak havoc

COPENHAGEN (Denmark), June 1 (AP) – A 57-year-old truck driver was detained Thursday after spotting a large amount of potatoes spilled on a key bridge linking two Danish islands, police said.

The driver was detained on suspicion of reckless endangerment.

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Police spokesman Kenneth Taanquist said the first leak was reported on the westbound side of the Storebaelt Bridge at 6.35am (0435GMT). The bridge connects the island where the capital Copenhagen is located with the rest of Denmark.

Tanquist added that a similar incident occurred shortly thereafter eastbound.

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“It looked weird,” he said. “We’re looking at two hypotheses: it was either an accident or it was intentional.”

Police said roads had become slippery and drivers were urged to drive slowly. Vehicle rows were reported on both sides of the roughly 18-kilometer (11.2-mile) bridge and tunnel link between Fueng, where Denmark’s third-largest city Odense is located, and Zealand, where Copenhagen is located, according to the Danish Road Agency.

A third incident of potatoes on the road has been reported near the town of Kolding in Jutland. Kolding is close to the Storebaelt Bridge.

Danish public broadcaster DR noted that the potato spill happened on the same day that the Danish parliament passed a law imposing a tax on diesel trucks transporting heavy loads.

The new measure sparked protests from truck drivers. They have peacefully blocked highways and major roads across the country in recent weeks, claiming the tax would make their livelihood impossible.

A majority in the Danish parliament sees this as crucial, as the continued use of petrol and diesel fueled trucks is not environmentally sustainable.

From 2025, drivers of gasoline and diesel vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tons (7,716 pounds) will be taxed 1.3 crowns ($0.19) for every kilometer (half mile) traveled.

Torben Dyhl Hjorth, a spokesman for the protesting truckers, said on Facebook that they were “strongly opposed to today’s stunt”. He added that they were planning a protest at a later date, which “could be felt but would not endanger people’s lives and well-being”. (Associated Press)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)