
Millions of bees were accidentally released in Auburn, California Thursday night after a semi truck hauling beehives crashed in an attempt to avoid stopped traffic.
The accidental release happened at approximately 9 p.m. on November 2nd in Auburn, California on Interstate 80 near Andrews and Nevada Streets.
According to Fox 40, the tractor trailer hauling bees was traveling on the I-80 exit ramp when traffic came to an abrupt stop for police activity up the road. Police say that the truck began to slow but was unable to stop in time, so the trucker swerved off of the road to avoid a pile-up crash.
The truck then crashed into a small embankment off of Andrews Street, freeing the beehives from their restraints and spilling them across the roadway, releasing millions of bees into the air.
The truck driver was taken to a nearby hospital with minor injuries. He has not been identified.
Beekeeper Nathan Smith was called to assist in capturing the bees, but, with rain approaching in the dark of night, it was decided the best route would be to kill the bees by spraying them with soapy water.
Smith says that the bees were on their way from Montana to the Central Valley of California, where they were to pollinate the almond trees in the spring.
It is not clear why the bees were en route to California so far ahead of springtime, but their worth was estimated to be between $1 million and $2 million dollars.
Andrews Street was closed for several hours as crews worked to contain the bees and clear the debris.