When Life Gives You Lemons, Shut Down Mahwah Highway

MAHWAH, NJ — Life handed a whole lot of lemons to people on the road in Mahwah this Wednesday.

Drivers were warned to expect major traffic delays after a tractor trailer overturned on Route 17 near Mountainside Avenue around 10 a.m. Wednesday, causing lemons to spill all over the highway.

According to a news release shared by the Mahwah Police Department, the truck was moving on the northbound side of the highway when the trailer portion rolled off, hitting an Audi on the southbound side.

The truck driver, who is from Ontario, Canada, said he felt the trailer load shift and when he attempted to correct it, the trailer dislodged and landed in the opposite lane.

They say to make lemonade out of lemons, and the upside is that both the driver of the truck and the driver of the Audi, who is from Monroe, New York, are being treated at the hospital for injuries that are not life threatening, according to police.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation responded to the scene to inspect the damage to an overhead sign, police said.

According to the most recent update from police at around 3:15 p.m. Wednesday, Route 17 southbound at Mountainside Avenue is still closed down to one lane and is expected to remain closed for several hours.

Route 17 northbound at Route 202 Ramapo Valley Road is closed completely as NJDOT removes the unstable overhead sign and is expected to remain closed for several hours, police said.