It was a candy catastrophe Monday night when a tractor-trailer loaded with Peanut M&M’s turned a section of Interstate‑80 in New Jersey into something more like a chocolate river.
Around 10:15 p.m., a loaded rig rear-ended a parked trailer near mile marker 2.4 on I‑80 West in Warren County, ripping open both trailers and sending bags and boxes of candy barreling across the asphalt.
The spill prompted emergency crews to shut down westbound lanes while workers gathered up the colorful cargo and debris. Drivers were detoured as cleanup crews got to work under headlights.
A fire was initially reported, but that was unfounded.
Both drivers declined medical treatment, and no injuries were reported.
The mess took several hours to clear. Shortly after midnight, the roadway was finally returned to its normal, candy‑free state.
Authorities haven’t said what caused the crash that led to the candy carnage, whether brake failure, driver error, or some slippery conditions.
“Thank you to NJSP for their assistance with traffic, and also NJ DOT Incident Management for their assistance with traffic and cleanup!!” Knowlton Twp Fire & Rescue Company No. 1 wrote in a Facebook post.
Fellow Facebook users had a field day in the comments, with many joking that they could’ve assisted authorities with cleaning up the candy.
“Cleanup would have been much faster if they just let drivers park and pick,” one person wrote.
Another asked, “Why was I not called to assist with the cleanup?”
Others joked that the upcoming spooky season could be impacted due to the crash.
“Halloween is cancelled no more candy…..,” one said.
“Trick or Treat!” more than one person wrote.
“When people ask what started the great peanut M&M shortage of 2025, historians will point to this,” another person chuckled.
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