PETA Wants To Place Memorial At Site Of Lobster Truck Crash

The animal rights organization PETA wants to place a memorial at the site of a lobster truck accident in Brunswick.

Last week, a Cozy Harbor Seafood Inc. truck overturned, spilling its cargo of about 7,000 crated lobsters onto the roadway and ditch. By the time the spill was cleaned up, it was determined that most of the lobsters were no longer viable for sale. Officials believe the truck hydroplaned, and that caused the crash.

Now, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, wants to erect a memorial to the lobsters who lost their lives in the accident. The five-foot-tall tombstone would be placed along Route 1 in Brunswick, near the Cook's Corner exit, and would urge passersby to 'Try Vegan.'

Maine Department of Transportation spokesman Ted Talbot told the Times Record that, typically, roadside memorials are handled by the state in the same manner as any temporary signs placed with the public right-of-way. The signs can remain for only 12 weeks and can't be more than 4-feet-by-8-feet in size. The department has received a letter from PETA and has the matter under review.

PETA has objected to the cooking of lobsters, in any form, for years. A spokesperson for the organization says they hope the tombstone will keep the issue on people's minds.