Trucker hauling bees stung hundreds of times after crash caused by teen’s improper lane change, North Dakota troopers say

A truck driver was hospitalized yesterday following a crash that unleashed thousands of bees in Barnes County, North Dakota.

The crash took place shortly before 4 p.m. on May 28 on I-94 at mile marker 292 in Valley City, North Dakota.

Troopers say that a 2004 Chevrolet Silverado driven by a 15 year old male was merging onto westbound I-94 from the westbound on-ramp at Exit 292.

At the same time, another vehicle was merging onto I-94 ahead of the Chevrolet Silverado.

A Kenworth semi truck hauling bee hives was also westbound on I-94 in the lane where the on-ramp merges with westbound traffic.

From the North Dakota Highway Patrol (NDHP):

“While merging onto I-94, the Chevrolet Silverado entered the right lane (lane two) and then abruptly attempted to move into the left lane (lane one) to pass the vehicle in front of it. During the lane change, the Kenworth semi was directly alongside the Chevrolet Silverado. The driver of the Chevrolet Silverado did not observe the Kenworth semi and made an improper lane change.

To avoid a collision, the driver of the Kenworth semi took evasive action and swerved left. The semi’s driver-side tires entered the median before the driver attempted to steer back onto the roadway. The semi then rolled onto its passenger side. The Chevrolet Silverado and Kenworth semi did not make contact.“

The semi truck came to a stop on the shoulder of I-94 and on top of lane two of the interstate.

During the crash, the 600 to 800 bee hives containing approximately 2 million bees “separated from the trailer during the rollover.”

The Kenworth driver, a 55 year old male from Florida, was able to exit the cab but was immediately attacked by hundreds of bees, NDHP said. The truck driver ran to the nearby Sheyenne River to try to escape the bees.

The truck driver was later transported to a hospital in Fargo for treatment of hundreds of bee stings.

The Silverado driver remained at the scene.

Local beekeepers responded to the scene, as well as a towing company to remove the destroyed bee hives.

The incident is under investigation.

Responding agencies include the North Dakota Department of Transportation, Barnes County Sheriff’s Office, Valley City Police Department, Valley City Fire Department, North Dakota Department of Emergency Services, Barnes County Emergency Management, and the North Dakota Department of Agriculture.