One of the stranger stories of the week comes from Minnesota where a fatal crash involving two cars and two semi-trucks Monday not only killed two people, but also released a swarm of millions of bees.
According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, rescuers responding to the fatal car-truck crash had to fight their way through dark clouds of bees released from one of the trucks, both of which were hauling bees that had spent the winter in Mississippi to North Dakota for the summer. The cars were reportedly crushed between the two trucks. Police are still investigating the cause of the fatal car-truck crash, according to the Star-Tribune.
The bee-laden semi-trailers collided with two cars on Interstate 35 closing what the Star-Tribune described as a five-mile stretch of the interstate for several hours. The paper quoted a fireman who was one of the first rescuers on the scene saying; “I saw this big black cloud… I opened up my door and got stung in the face by a couple of bees.”
Car and truck crashes like this one serve as a reminder for Oregon drivers that the consequences of an accident can extend beyond the damage to the vehicles themselves. I wrote a few days ago about a man in Maine killed while tending his own yard sale when a pick-up and a camper crashed into his front yard. When accidents kill bystanders – or release a cloud of potentially dangerous insects – the people responsible for the damage need to be held to account. An experienced Portland personal injury lawyer can advise clients on the best way to obtain justice if they have been damaged by another person’s Oregon reckless driving or negligence.
USA Today: Firefighters battle thousands of bees released in highway crash
Minneapolis Star-Tribune: Rescuers battle bees in deadly I-35 pileup