On Rural Irish Road, a ‘Very Unusual Scene’

Drivers traveling along a quiet rural road in Ireland encountered an unexpected obstacle this week when thousands of live crabs spilled across the roadway following a traffic accident.

A seafood truck operated by McLaughlin Transport veered off the R238 near Carrickmaquigley in Redcastle, County Donegal, on Monday. The trailer was carrying an estimated 15,000 crabs from the Inishowen Peninsula to restaurants and retailers in Portugal when it crashed into a ditch, according to reports. The driver was not injured, but the impact burst several aluminum containers, sending crabs—valued at roughly $70,000—scattering across the road and nearby fields.

McLaughlin’s Light and Heavy Recovery Services, based in Burnfoot, was called to clear the scene and recover the escaped cargo. Company owner Odhran McLaughlin described the situation as highly unusual, saying it required hands-on work rather than heavy machinery. A team of about 10 workers spent several hours gathering the crabs by hand, stuffing them into large bags, and loading them back onto the truck as many attempted to crawl away.

McLaughlin later estimated that approximately 95% of the crabs were successfully recovered.