Suspicious Package Was Utility Device, Cops Say

A suspicious package that forced evacuations and closed a portion of Route 46 in Hackettstown Tuesday night turned out to be a device left behind by Elizabethtown Gas, Hackettstown Police Sgt. Darren Tynan said.

Wires were connected to the electronic device, which led to an orange cylinder shaped container that was holding liquid, Tynan said. An investigation revealed the device was a corrosion detector utilized by Elizabethtown Gas, Tynan said.

No injuries were reported, Tynan said, and the roads were closed for approximately two hours.

Assisting at the scene was the Hackettstown Fire Department, Hackettstown Fire Police, Hackettstown Rescue Squad, Warren County Fire Marshall, Allamuchy Township Fire Police, New Jersey State Police Bomb Unit, Warren County Prosecutors’ Office and Elizabethtown Gas.