Truck with 1 Million Bees Crashes on I-40 in Knoxville

A pickup truck carrying approximately one million bees crashed on Interstate 40 in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Friday morning, unleashing a massive swarm that temporarily shut down an exit ramp and forced drivers to remain in their vehicles.

The incident occurred around 11 a.m. near the Henley Street exit, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation. The truck, which was transporting the bees as part of a large-scale shipment commonly used by commercial beekeepers to support agriculture and pollination efforts nationwide, veered off the road and collided in a way that destroyed the vehicle and released the hives. No injuries were reported among the driver or motorists nearby, officials said.

Mark Nagi, a regional spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Transportation, provided real-time updates on social media as the situation unfolded. "The ramp from I-40 East to Henley Street is currently closed," his initial post stated. "A truck carrying a load of bees crashed, and now the bees have escaped and are swarming the area." He advised drivers to stay inside their cars, noting the bees had clustered around the wreckage and nearby roadway.