Buzz, buzz: Truck accident releases millions of bees

July 12, 2011
First responders were in for a stinging experience when they arrived to assist in an over-turned big rig accident on Highway 20 in Idaho on Sunday

Video of overturned bees truck

First responders were in for a stinging experience when they arrived to assist in an over-turned big rig accident on Highway 20 in Idaho on Sunday. “It was an un-BEE-lievable” reported KPVI News, the NBC affiliate, when a big rig dumped its buzzing load of more than 14 million honey bees.

Everyone assisting in the accident suffered multiple bee stings, authorities reported, and firemen had to spray fire foam on the rig and the bees before responders could get to the scene. It required help from several agencies to clean up the scene, where significant amounts of honey were also spilled on the highway.

The truck was hauling the bees from Bakersfield, CA, to North Dakota when it ran off the road and overturned in Island Park, Idaho. No one was seriously injured in the accident or the cleanup; however, local residents were warned that there were still a significant number of angry bees on the loose in the area.

About the Author

Deborah Whistler

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