How A Truckload Of Biscuits Led To A Blocked Road In The UK

Catastrophe struck the streets of Derbyshire, England, on April 4 when a truckload of biscuits burst from their container and fell all across the road. Such was the size of the mound of treats that half the road had to be closed to drivers. "Please bare with us this evening whilst we try and 'digest' this issue," the local response team joked on Twitter. Officials added that the spilled biscuits (or cookies in American speak) were from McVitie's (the brand behind Jaffa Cakes) and included Ginger Nuts, Bourbon Creams, and digestive biscuits, per Sky News.

Worst of all, delayed passersby in hopes of a free snack couldn't even enjoy the bounty. Though the biscuits mostly remained in their packages — unlike the liquidy mess caused by a recent Coca-Cola spill that closed a freeway in California — they were still considered contaminated and unsuitable for consumption, says the Daily Mail. In fairness, several cookies did fall into horse excrement.

As one might imagine, social media had plenty of jokes to make about the fallen biscuits. Even the Derbyshire constabulary couldn't refrain from punning in an official statement: "It took officers a moment to digest the scene in front of them, however they didn't crumble and ensured that traffic was able to continue moving nicely" (via The Guardian).

"I'm presuming the public can come and take what they want?" one Twitter user joked. Others echoed the officials' penchant for puns, such as one who said that after stopping by with tea for the biscuits, the police flagged them for "dunk driving." Several cheekily volunteered to help with the clean-up. Perhaps the most interesting response, though, came from a user who looked at the pictures of the lorry and noted how the vehicle itself failed to meet the standards set by the Ministry of Transport. "Curtain & supporting rail completely ripped off," they said. "No intermediate braces fitted & no sign of internal load straps. Bad enough with a single layer but with these double stacked pallets it's asking for it." As one response pointed out, it's a rather nerdy complaint. However, it's presumable that if such measures were regularly in place, we would have fewer stories of trucks tipping over and ruining their cargo — as happened with an overturned Jack Daniel's truck last year.