Overview
- A fully loaded tractor‑trailer negotiating a turn at the Point Judith Road and Galilee Escape Road intersection overturned and spilled a substantial portion of its squid cargo on Sunday, blocking all lanes and stopping traffic for hours.
- Narragansett firefighters, the Rhode Island State Police Commercial Enforcement Unit, the Department of Environmental Management and RIDOT worked the scene, used heavy equipment and dump trucks to remove the squid, and coated the road with sand before reopening the intersection around 5:15 p.m.
- The truck driver and a passenger were not injured and no other vehicles were involved, and state police have opened a commercial‑enforcement investigation to determine whether the load was properly secured.
- Media reports estimate the amount spilled very differently, with some local outlets saying about two tons and others citing figures above 20 tons, while official statements describe only a “substantial portion” lost.
- Local officials and businesses leaned into joking social posts about the “Squidpocalypse,” but the immediate concerns are clear: slippery road surfaces, a persistent odor during cleanup, and possible enforcement action that could affect commercial haul rules and local traffic safety.