Over 20 tons of 'foul-smelling' squid spills onto road
A significant and smelly traffic disruption was reported over the weekend when over 20 tons of squid spilled over into the road.
A tractor-trailer carrying squid flipped over this past Sunday (16 August) in the coastal resort town of Narragansett, Rhode Island while attempting to make a turn.
Over 20 tons of squid ended up in the road during the accident which happened at around 9.27am local time, according to a press release from the Narragansett Police Department.
The accident happened at the intersection of Pt. Judith Road and Galilee Escape Road. Officers at the scene determined that the trailer became dislodged during the attempted turn, flipping over onto its side.
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“Officers determined that the tractor-trailer had been negotiating the turn onto Pt. Judith Road when the trailer became dislodged from the cab and overturned onto its side,” the release explains.
Not only did the squid leave the area in a smelly state, it also resulted in significant traffic disruptions and a road closure.
According to the press release, the ‘fully loaded’ trailer was on its way to a procession facility out of town, but a ‘substantial portion’ of the squid ended up spilled on the road.
The clean-up was no easy feat as the intersection where the spillage occurred was closed for several hours and didn’t reopen for traffic until around 5.15 the same day.
At least the locals were able to see the funny side. One person on social media responded: “We are the calamari state, after all”
“The seagulls must have had a field day,” another commenter mused.
Someone else joked: “The great squid’zzard of 2026!”
Video obtained by NBC 10 shows squid spilled throughout the road and tractors pickup up the animals.
“Squid has a distinctive door,” a local fisherman explained to the news platform. “I use squid for bait, so I’m used to it, but it can be very foul-smelling, especially if it lands on the road and stays there for a while.”
There were no reported injuries from the incident and both the driver and the passenger were uninjured.
The police also worked with the Narragansett Fire Department and other authorities, to assist in cleaning the road and control traffic.
Crews sprayed down the road to help deal with the mess, NBC 10 reports.
How Rhode Island became the Calamari State
You'll usually find squid in the form of delicious calamari in Rhode Island as opposed to spilled in the road. That's because Rhode Island has been nicknamed the 'Calamari State' since 2014 after it named the dish its official state appetiser in 2014, becoming the first U.S. state to designate an appetiser.
The east coast state has a huge connection to squid fishing and as a result, the fishing industry, restaurants and tourism have all helped to make calamari that is particularly associated with the area.
Locals developed their very own style of calamari, which usually consists of fried squid served with peppers, onions, sauces or butter.
The nickname became official in 2014 when the Rhode Island General Assembly passed legislation designating calamari the official state appetiser and Governor Lincoln Chafee signed it into law on 27 June, 2014.
Crucially, the legislation cited Rhode Island's version of calamari as well as the state's fishing industry - fried squid tossed with garlic, butter and hot peppers.
Local publication The Town Dock explains: "The fishing industry in Rhode Island not only sustains thousands of jobs and livelihoods but also plays a vital role in our state's economy. The Port of Galilee is a major economic hub for fisheries and a popular tourist destination in the summer months."
Greg Harris