Ontario highway shut down because it's totally covered in celery

A truck rollover shut down an Ontario highway on Tuesday, and crews are racing to clean up the resulting mass of celery now blocking the southbound lanes of Highway 400 just south of Highway 9.

That's right. Celery.

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Highway Safety Division shared alarming photos and video showing the aftermath of the rollover in the Holland Marsh area, advising that the highway will be shut down for several hours as crews attend to the overturned load of produce.

So much celery! #AuroraOPP working hard to keep motorists safe Hwy 400 S/B. Please be patient. #Celery https://t.co/TXRNxiR85z pic.twitter.com/ygAYQCPJtQ

— OPP Highway Safety Division (@OPP_HSD) October 3, 2023

Aside from the obvious impacts to traffic in the area, the internet is getting some good LOLs out of the situation — which I promise is not a coded invitation to anyone out there hoarding peanut butter and Cheez Whiz.

Bring wings and blue cheese dip...... #Quick

— Joe (@11199joe) October 3, 2023

A handful of commenters cracked jokes about the best food and beverage pairings to quickly deal with the closure, which has to be one of the only times in recorded history where celery blocked an artery.

Someone grab the Clamato and vodka.

— Wiley (& Me) (@Wileydogote) October 3, 2023

Several people seemed most concerned, at least jokingly, with the fate of the celery.

Just need another truck full of ranch dressing...

— Steve "ardalis" Smith (@ardalis) October 3, 2023

The tragic loss of what appears to be a significant quantity of celery comes just days before Thanksgiving (the real one, not the one-month-late American one), where celery plays an important (does it really, though?) role in turkey stuffing.

Up next in the shortfall list #celery
Hope you got yours for the Thanksgiving stuffing 🚜🤷🏿‍♂️
Hope the driver’s okay

— Bowtie Style (@heavyhaul3224) October 3, 2023

Similar crashes and rollovers of food products have caused highway chaos in recent years, including one case in 2021 where a transport truck rollover spilled food, toilet paper and other essential goods all over Highway 401.