Millions of bees loose after truck overturns on interstate

KING-TV

Show Caption Hide Caption Honey bees cover interstate after truck overturns A semi carrying bees overturned on a Washington interstate, causing hundreds of bees to be strewn across the road.

LYNNWOOD, Wash. -- A semi-truck carrying millions of bees overturned on northbound Interstate 5 near I-405 Friday morning, shutting down two lanes of traffic.

The truck driver said it happened after he blew a tire while merging from I-405 to I-5. But a Washington State Patrol spokesman said it appears the driver may have been going too fast.

The truck was carrying 458 honey bee hives. WSP said about 26,000-30,000 bees were in each hive, meaning that just under 14 million bees were in the truck.

Many of the bees were killed in the accident. An effort was being made to save as many of the remaining bees as possible.

Officials said the bees were relaxed before dawn, but it was clear that they were becoming much more active as the sun came up.

The truck driver, a 36-year-old from Idaho, was not hurt. The truck was headed for a blueberry farm in Lynden.

Photos: Truck carrying over 400 bee hives overturns