Truck driver Louis Holst and his wife Tammie were transporting 460 bee hives from South Dakota on Sunday when they reached a sharp bend in a construction zone on Interstate 15 in southern Utah which caused their trailer to flip and releasing the bees.
The accident stirred up 25 million bees which were headed from Adee Honey Farms in Bruce, S.D., to a farm near Bakersfield, Calif.
Holst said he was forced to rip off his shirt and swat at the air to keep bees away from himself while his wife ran away:
“We just started swinging our clothes,” he said. “They stung her all up and down her neck.”
The truck driver said of rescue crews:
“First responders came and drug me and my wife through the front window,” and “Then we panicked.”
After the accident I-15 near St. George was closed for several hours while beekeepers wrangled the bees back into their hives, unfortunately most of the bees died or disappeared after the crash.
Holst and his wife were stung approximately 12 times each while at least two first responders were also stung.
According to Holst the trip carried $116,000 in bees, the last of 160 truckloads that were carrying nearly 4 billion bees.
When asked by the Associated Press if he’ll ever haul bees again Holst said:
“Well my wife’s looking at me right now, so I’ll say no.”
Do you think bees should be better secured when being moved for winter migratory purposes?
