“All Clear” Given at New Jersey Military Facility After Car Stop Prompts Five-Hour Saga

A driver who tried to enter New Jersey's Picatinny Arsenal Friday was stopped at the gate after guards found something about the vehicle to be suspicious, prompting a five-hour saga that included evacuations and road closures as explosive technicians were called in to assess a perceived threat they later determined to be a false alarm, authorities said.

It wasn't clear what security personnel considered suspicious about the vehicle that approached the gates of the Morris County facility around 11:30 a.m.; the driver was taken into custody as local, federal and state agencies coordinated their response to the situation.

Arsenal authorities said in a statement they were treating the vehicle "as if it were an explosive threat."

The gate was locked down and employees were instructed to leave their posts shortly before 2 p.m. as robots and explosive detection devices checked out the car.

The immediate area, including businesses near the entrance, was evacuated. Route 15 from Berkshire Valley Road to Route 80 was closed to assist in the investigation, and photos showed extensive traffic delays in the area near the base.

One motorist complained about a three-hour journey to go a few miles. 

Roads were being reopened in the area and normal base operations resumed through the front entrance of the arsenal. The truck entrance remained closed. 

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