A flatbed truck carrying hundreds of beehives overturned near a construction zone on a Utah highway, freeing millions of bees and forcing authorities to temporarily close Interstate 15, officials said on Monday.
"The driver lost control, hit the concrete barrier and rolled over. Of course, we then had bees everywhere," said Corporal Todd Johnson with the Utah Highway Patrol.
The highway in southern Utah was shut down for several hours on Sunday evening and Monday morning, officials said.
Local beekeepers worked through the night to gather the escaped bees. Officials said there was a net over the beehives but bees still managed to escape after the truck overturned.
The truck driver and two law enforcement officers responding to the accident were stung by bees but the stings were not life-threatening, Johnson said.
"There were about 450 colonies on the load and probably about 45,000 bees to the colony," said Richard Adee with Adee Honey Farms in Bruce, South Dakota.
That would translate to more than 20 million bees.
"The driver lost control, hit the concrete barrier and rolled over. Of course, we then had bees everywhere," said Corporal Todd Johnson with the Utah Highway Patrol.
The highway in southern Utah was shut down for several hours on Sunday evening and Monday morning, officials said.
Local beekeepers worked through the night to gather the escaped bees. Officials said there was a net over the beehives but bees still managed to escape after the truck overturned.
The truck driver and two law enforcement officers responding to the accident were stung by bees but the stings were not life-threatening, Johnson said.
"There were about 450 colonies on the load and probably about 45,000 bees to the colony," said Richard Adee with Adee Honey Farms in Bruce, South Dakota.
That would translate to more than 20 million bees.