On April 7, 2023, Middle Township Police and Rio Grande Fire Department were dispatched to a motor vehicle crash on Route 47 southbound in the area of mile post 2.4. A single vehicle carrying 55-gallon drums of acrylic paint left the roadway causing the vehicle to overturn. When the vehicle overturned, approximately 350 gallons of acrylic paint and 30 gallons of gasoline were spilled onto the shoulder of the road, the surrounding ground and marshland. The roadway was reduced to one lane for approximately two hours and the shoulder of the road will continue to be closed during cleanup efforts. Also, assisting with the crash were Wildwood Fire Department, Cape May County Department of Health CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives) Unit and New Jersey State Police. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
