State officials are throwing cold water on the idea of putting up a five-foot tall granite tombstone at the site of a lobster truck crash in Brunswick.

An animal rights group known for attention-getting publicity stunts to draw attention to their cause asked permission to erect a five-foot tall granite tombstone on the side of Route 1 near Cook’s Corner. Maine Department of Transportation officials rejected the idea within 24 hours.

No signs are allowed along Route 1 in Brunswick, mostly for safety reasons, according to the letter DOT chief counsel Jim Billings sent Thursday to People for the Ethical Treatment for Animals.

“(These types of roadways) have a very high volume of car and truck traffic as well as a high speed limit that could create a potential hazard to motorists should development and signs be allowed in these sections,” he wrote.

PETA said the would-be memorial would have had a large image of a lobster and the words: “In memory of the lobsters who suffered and died at this spot August 2018, Try Vegan, PETA.”

PETA is known for its efforts to raise awareness of its mission, sometimes in provocative ways. On its website, it explains why it uses “controversial tactics,” which has included using nudity in anti-fur campaigns or showing obese people on “save the whale” billboards.

The group also targeted Maine lobsters earlier this summer, buying a month’s worth of ads posted at the Portland International Jetport in August featuring a lobster holding a sign proclaiming, “I’m ME, Not Meat. See the individual. Go Vegan.” A similar campaign starring a crab ran in Maryland, home to signature blue crab dishes.