The driver was on his first long-distance trip transporting oranges from Hunan province with his nephew, when his truck overturned in Yichun in Jiangxi province, news portal Kankannews.com reported.
Oranges spilled all across the road. Villagers living not far from the highway rushed out and began to snatch the fruit. When the driver tried to stop him, they attacked and beat him.
After losing all hope of salvaging his shipment, the man sat on the curb and wept.
The looting only stopped after police arrived. The driver was still crying, as he talked to reporters.
It is not uncommon in China to see people flocking to grab goods from trucks after road accidents, The South China Morning Post reports. In August 2015, villagers in Henan province pillaged 20 metric tons of apples which had fallen from an overturned truck. The looting only stopped after police detained three villagers.