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A flatbed truck hauling almost 200 box-style beehives rolled into the median of Interstate 90 about 6:40 a.m. Tuesday, leaving a jumble of broken beehives, slowing traffic and sending a “huge swarm” of bees into the air, said Ron Ganrude, chief deputy of the Winona County Sheriff’s Department.
Traffic had to be rerouted for more than four hours before the bees could be removed, officials said.
“There were bees everywhere,” Ganrude said.
Beekeeper Jim Whitlock, of Peterson, Minn., was among several area beekeepers and firefighters called to help at the rollover on I-90, about 6 miles east of St. Charles.
The bees — estimated to number between 5 million and 7 million — were surprisingly docile despite the mishap, he said.
Truck driver Hermanus J. Kriel, 24, of Bancroft, Iowa, was westbound on I-90 when he tried to pass a slow-moving oversized load and pulled into the left lane too quickly, causing his own load to shift, said Ganrude.
The truck rolled into the median “a couple of times,” he said.
Kriel was trapped in the truck for a short time, and swarming bees prevented other motorists from helping him, Ganrude said. He eventually crawled to safety despite being stung several times.
He was treated at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester, Minn., for minor injuries and released.
Ganrude said he was stung on the arm and forced to leave, as he is allergic to bee stings.
Firefighters sprayed the bees with foam. Soapy water typically is recommended for subduing bees, but that clogs their respiratory systems, killing them, Whitlock said. Most of the bees stayed close to the wreckage and were taken away by pay-loaders, he said.
Many of the bees probably died, he said, adding, “it’s a big loss for somebody.”
Authorities did not release the name of the owner of the damaged 2000 Freightliner truck.
Kevin Behr is a reporter for the Winona (Minn.) Daily News.
