A semi-truck hauling millions of bees overturned near Crater Lake National Park on March 17, blocking the highway and scattering hundreds of boxes holding the little pollinators across the road.
The crash occurred in Douglas County just before 5 p.m. on March 17 on OR 230 at milepost 9, about 9 miles from Diamond Lake Junction, according to Julie Denney, a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Transportation.
“Our crews and other responders had to be cautious when accessing the scene because of all the bees flying in the area,” Denney said.
The truck also spilled diesel fuel, which prompted ODOT to dispatch a hazmat team, Denney said. The highway was closed for nearly seven hours.
The incident released swarms of bees into the surrounding area and down the nearby embankments. Local beekeepers responded quickly to the scene, working to recover the hives and save as many bees as possible.
Tyler Hawkins, one of the beekeepers who responded to the crash, said he rescued eight boxes of bees, each with approximately 15 thousand bees, while others who came before him were able to recover even more.
“While I was there, I saw about 40-50 boxes full of bees,” Hawkins said. “I took them to the apiary at the Jackson Wellsprings.”
A semi-truck hauling millions of bees overturned near Crater Lake on March 17, blocking the highway and scattering hundreds of bee boxes across the road.
While many of the bees did not survive, recovery efforts are ongoing. The reason for the crash is currently unknown.
Ginnie Sandoval is the Oregon Connect reporter for the Statesman Journal. Sandoval is a lifelong Oregonian who covers trending news, entertainment, food and outdoors. She can be reached at GSandoval@statesmanjournal.com or on X at @GinnieSandoval.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Semi-truck rollover scatters millions of bees near Crater Lake
