A pair of police officers scared off a group of turkeys Tuesday that had pinned down a letter carrier in a mail truck.
In a file photo, a group of wild turkeys feed on the grass in the median of Scenic Drive near Route 29 in Mercer County. HILLSDALE -- Dogs aren't the only danger in the mail delivery business.
A pair of police officers scared off a group of turkeys Tuesday that had pinned down a letter carrier in a mail truck.
The local postmaster called Hillsdale police at about 12:10 p.m. to report that one of his trucks had been surrounded by turkeys on Esplanade Drive, leaving the letter carrier unable to exit, Detective Bill Diedtrich said.
The police department dispatched a pair of officers, who managed to scare the turkeys away from the truck, Diedtrich said. The turkeys moved on to a wooded area while letter carrier continued on his route, skipping three homes.
"The safety of our employees is a top priority," George Flood, a spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service, said. "We are treating this incident like any other animal attack and will resume delivery to these three homes when we can assure the safety of our employee."
That may come as soon as Tuesday afternoon, Flood said.
Wild turkeys neared extinction a few decades ago but have made a comeback in New Jersey. A recent estimate placed their New Jersey population at 23,000.
Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.