LYNDEN, Wash. — Ticona Rider has seen a lot in the three years she has worked at Lynden's SpeedPro gas station, but nothing quite like this.
"I saw the biggest pile of raspberries I've ever seen in my life pushed over on the side of the road," she said.
The roundabout along Guide Meridian Road at Pole Road is still red with the stain of raspberries. More than 100 trays of the fruit spilled when a truck carrying them lost its load and dumped them into the street Wednesday evening.
The spill blocked an entire lane for about two hours as nearby neighbors tried to clear the roadway. A local farmer estimated the losses between $15,000 and $20,000.
"It's just such a waste of food," said Ticona. "How long does it take for raspberries to grow and then to pick them? And all the labor you have involved, and all the people who come together to put all those berries on that truck. For them to end up on the ground just made me sick."
People living and working in the area told KING 5 this is not a rare occurrence. They say there have been at least three similar spills over the past three weeks.
"At certain times of the day people come through here running pretty hot," said Kemaar James, who works nearby.
Kemaar said people often drive too quickly or don't know how to properly navigate roundabouts.
"There's quite a bit of traffic congestion," said Kemaar. "The roundabouts create a stop-and-go thing. People accelerate to get out of the way, and if a load is not completely secure, it tips a little bit and off they go."
The Washington State Patrol cited the truck driver for failing to secure his load.
The berries came from nearby Enfield Farms. KING 5 has reached out to the farm for comment, but has not heard back.
Most crushing for Ticona is the sheer amount of wasted fruit at a time when it is expensive and families are struggling to put food on their tables.
"It was pure waste and it was preventable," she said. "Just tie down the load."