Given the large stretches of land that they cover, the 63 national parks across the United States see a wide range of incidents and accidents occur on their territory.
There are situations where visitors wander off trails and get lost, encounters with humans and the wild animals who also call the parks home and even the odd freak accident.
In October 2024, a technology CEO from Utah fell more than 200 feet to his death while on a canyoneering trip in Zion National Park.
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'Very little chance that stray chickpeas not cleaned up will become invasive species'
The latest incident occurred when a trailer truck transporting 44,000 pounds of chickpeas through Death Valley National Park in Southern California caught fire while going down Daylight Pass and Mud Canyon Road.
According to the statement released by the National Park Service (NPS) this week, the Nov. 21 incident occurred because the truck's brakes overheated during a rapid descent. That section of the park is closed to truck traffic but the driver chose to go through it anyway.
“When a commercial truck has a wreck or catches on fire, we worry about what it will release into the park," Superintendent Mike Reynolds said in a statement. "However, there's very little chance that stray chickpeas not cleaned up will become invasive species in the driest place in North America."
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'Removed the wreckage and cleaned up the remaining dried chickpeas'
When the fire started, the driver pulled over after reaching flat terrain on the CA-190 route and called for help from the fire authorities which arrived at approximately 5:30 a.m. Multiple agencies also followed to help with clean-up, while no injuries were reported.
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"Two Star Towing removed the wreckage and cleaned up the remaining dried chickpeas," the NPS said further.
As Death Valley is transected through the 190 highway used by commercial trucks transporting goods from Mexico to California, it sees more traffic accidents than the average national park.
Many drivers are also tempted to cut through Mud Canyon Road, which is closed to commercial truck traffic, to save time during late hours when they are less likely to be fined.
In July 2023, another tractor trailer carrying 5,000 gallons of emulsified asphalt used for pavement repairs crashed and released it into the park. Due to the chemical nature of the spill, the accident required extensive clean-up from crews specialized in dealing with toxic waste.
"The driver was uninjured," the NPS described in July 2023. "Park visitors picked him up and drove him to cell phone service to report the accident. National Park Service employees responded to the scene to contain the 5,000 gallons of emulsified asphalt and 150 gallons of diesel released when the truck crashed."
A few months later in November 2024, a truck transporting beehives between Nevada and California rolled over when the driver lost control of the vehicle on a steep part of Death Valley's Towne Pass.
Thousands of bees were released into the area around the accident in the process and stung the 35-year-old driver to the point of needing hospitalization for "traumatic injuries."
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