NARRAGANSETT, RI — Drivers in a Rhode Island town faced an unusual mess Sunday morning when a tractor-trailer carrying more than 20 tons of squid overturned and scattered its cargo across a busy road.
The spill shut down the Point Judith Road intersection for nearly eight hours while crews cleared the seafood from the pavement.
Trailer detached during a turn before tipping onto its side
Police said the truck was making a turn around 9:30 a.m. when the trailer detached from the cab and tipped over. The crash blocked all lanes and left a substantial amount of squid spread across the roadway.
Authorities said the load was being hauled for processing outside Narragansett when it spilled onto the road.
Crews used skid steers to scrape squid from hot pavement
Cleanup teams moved in with skid steers to remove the seafood from the road surface. Photos shared by local media showed crews working to clear the squid from the pavement after the wreck.
The Narragansett Police Department referred to the incident on Facebook as the “Squidpocalypse of ’26,” joking that it put the phrase “slippery when wet” to shame.
No injuries were reported but the driver was cited
Despite the unusual scene, police said no one was hurt in the crash. State police cited the driver for failing to properly secure the load.
The intersection remained closed until the roadway was cleared and traffic could resume.
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