KNOWLTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Warren County) — A crash involving two tractor-trailers shut down a stretch of Interstate 80 westbound late Monday night after one of the trucks spilled its cargo of candy across the roadway, authorities said.
Knowlton Township Fire and Rescue said crews were dispatched around 10:17 p.m. to the collision near the 2-mile marker. One of the tractor-trailers was hauling a full load of M&M’s, which tore open during the crash and scattered across the highway.
According to New Jersey State Police Sgt. Jeffrey Lebron, a preliminary investigation found that a Cascadia tractor-trailer traveling westbound sustained a tire malfunction, causing the driver to lose control and strike the trailer of another commercial vehicle parked on the right shoulder, which led the Cascadia to overturn.
The westbound lanes were closed while emergency responders and New Jersey State Police assessed the drivers and worked to clear the debris. Both operators refused medical treatment at the scene and were not transported.
Traffic was detoured during the closure, which lasted into the cleanup phase. Crews cleared the scene shortly after midnight with assistance from NJSP and the New Jersey Department of Transportation. All lanes were reopened after the cleanup was complete.
