Story By: Bartosz Staszewski, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News

This was the scene after a lorry load of ducks overturned on a major motorway, blocking both lanes for eight hours as hundreds of the surviving birds escaped and ran off in all directions.

The 31-year-old driver of the Mercedes lorry lost control of his vehicle on the S8 motorway near the city of Piotrkow Trybunalski in central Poland’s Lodz Voivodeship region.

The vehicle reportedly overturned spilling crates of ducks over both carriageways of the motorway and allowing hundreds of the birds to escape.

Pictures Credit: CEN

They scattered in all directions and police had to close the motorway in both directions for eight hours until all of the surviving ducks had been caught.

Sadly, around half of the load of 3,000 ducks died in the accident which happened in the early hours of the morning meaning firefighters had to try to recapture the escaped birds in the dark.

The lorry driver, whose name has not been released, was questioned by police after the accident.

Police spokeswoman Ilona Sidorko said: “The man was sober. He was issued with a 300 PLN (60 GBP) fine.”

The S8 is an important motorway which stretches across Poland, connecting the capital, Warsaw, with other major cities including Wroclaw, as well as the road leading to Katowice.

Pictures of the accident scene have been proving popular on social media where an anonymous netizen commented: “Poor birds”, and ‘Gosc’ added: “I think we already know what will be on the menu.”