Flaming fruit shuts down US 83; Teen clocked at 157 mph on way out of town

NO BAD APPLES, JUST WARM PAPAYAS- Ruins of a semi-trailer that caught fire on US 83 last week, diverting traffic for a few hours. No injuries were reported. Word is the MVFD enjoyed some healthy smoothies back at the station following this call. Photo courtesy MVFD.
NO BAD APPLES, JUST WARM PAPAYAS- Ruins of a semi-trailer that caught fire on US 83 last week, diverting traffic for a few hours. No injuries were reported. Word is the MVFD enjoyed some healthy smoothies back at the station following this call. Photo courtesy MVFD.

A burning truckload of nutrient-rich tropical fruit disrupted US 83 traffic last Friday morning sometime before 10:00.

A tractor-trailer carrying papayas along US 83 south of Menard experienced a mechanical brake failure sometime before 10:00 Friday morning. The brake friction caused the trailer to catch fire. The driver became aware of the fire near the Menard-Kimble County line. He was able to pu…