Truck Crash Spills Beer Across Route 95 in Pawtucket

Most mornings are quiet traffic-wise in our area, but Monday was a different story. Something weird was going on in Rhode Island.

Overnight Tractor Trailer Crash in Pawtucket

According to our friends at WPRI-TV 12, a tractor trailer struck a 15-foot bridge on Route 95 in Pawtucket shortly before 2 a.m. Monday, September 22. The collision ripped the roof open and spilled the truck’s contents across the highway, the breakdown lane, and even the grass alongside the road.

The cargo? Beer. Lots and lots of beer.

The Beer Behind the Spill

At first glance, we wondered if the wreck involved the local favorite, Narragansett. While it was a little unclear, we thought we saw red and white on the cardboard. Then, we thought it might have been good old fashioned Budweiser. After some digging and internet sleuthing, we confirmed it was actually Prestige Beer, a lager from Haiti.

Prestige is no small brand. It has achieved quite the status as the best-selling beer in Haiti.  In fact, Prestige makes up 98 percent of all beer sales on the Caribbean Island. First brewed in 1976, Prestige is an American-style lager that has twice won the World Beer Cup. The brand is now owned by Heineken. It is available in select cities across America.

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Cleanup and Aftermath

Crews worked through the morning rush hour to clear the road of the beer, bottles and debris. No injuries were reported, though the fate of any intact bottles that landed in the grass remains a mystery.