1 million bees swarm highway after crash shuts down interstate ramp for hours

A swarm of 1 million bees shut down part of a highway for hours as authorities quickly moved to address the situation.

Around 11 a.m. Friday, a pickup truck transporting the bees crashed on Interstate 40 in Knoxville, Tennessee, heading toward the Henley Street exit and unleashing the bees, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT).

Authorities did not say how many hives were being transported, but large-scale bee shipments are commonly used by commercial beekeepers to support agriculture and pollination efforts across the country.

Drivers stuck near the crash were told to stay inside their cars as bees filled the air around the highway ramp. Beekeepers in protective suits worked alongside crews to regain control of the swarm, which had clustered around the wreckage and nearby roadway.

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Mark Nagi, a spokesperson for TDOT, provided a series of updates on X.

"The ramp from I-40 East to Henley Street is currently closed," his first post began. "A truck carrying a load of bees crashed, and now the bees have escaped and are swarming the area."

The affected part of the highway later reopened as the truck driver and beekeepers worked to contain the swarm.

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"The ramp from I-40 East to Henley Street is back open, but the truck is destroyed, and the bees are … well … buzzing," one of Nagi's follow-up posts said. 

"Unless you are dressed in this outfit please stay in your vehicles in this area," Nagi added alongside a photo of man in a beekeeper's outfit.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Nagi confirmed there were no injuries reported as a result of the crash.

"Fortunately, there were no injuries. The truck was removed, and the bees were safely moved out of the area," he wrote.

Similar incidents involving escaped bees have occurred in the past, including a crash involving a semitrailer that released millions of bees onto an interstate in Utah, underscoring the risks tied to transporting large numbers of hives.

Officials did not say what caused the crash but said the bees were eventually contained and removed, bringing an unusual highway shutdown to an end.