A truck from Gathering Together Farm crashed on Interstate 5 in South Salem on Wednesday, rolling onto its top and spilling boxes of vegetables and other produce across the highway.

Both northbound lanes were briefly blocked about 5:45 a.m.

No citations were issued, and the driver of the vehicle, David Sarmiento Medina, 21, of Philomath, was not injured.

"That was the best news of the day. When I saw the truck, it was hard for me to believe that he didn't get hurt," said John Eveland, who owns the Philomath-area organic farm with his wife.

Eveland estimated that the business lost about $4,000 in produce Wednesday, including lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers. The items were headed to the Wednesday Downtown Portland Market, groceries and restaurants.

Gathering Together Farm was able to load up another truck and take it up to the Portland area, Eveland said.

Medina told Oregon State Police troopers that shortly before the accident he was distracted by smoke near his feet. When he looked back up, he hit highway work zone orange barrels and a variable message board trailer.

ODOT responded to the two-lane stretch of highway to pump 35 gallons of diesel fuel from the vehicle. The agency planned to right the vehicle and tow it from the scene Wednesday night.

The vehicle and the ODOT material likely will be covered by the farm's insurance, but the veggies probably won't be, Eveland said.

Kyle Odegard can be contacted at kyle.odegard@lee.net or 758-9523.