Driver fined after truck tipped, spilled millions of bees

May 13, 2015 at 3:08 p.m. | Updated May 13, 2015 at 3:20 p.m.

by Associated Press

FILE - In this April 17, 2015 file photo, bee keepers stand next to a semi-truck that rolled, spilling a load of honeybees on the Interstate 5 median at the Interstate 405 interchange near Lynnwood, Wash. The driver of the semi-truck that overturned last month has been fined $550 for the accident that sent millions of bees buzzing onto the highway. (Mike Siegel/The Seattle Times via AP, File) SEATTLE OUT; USA TODAY OUT; MAGS OUT; TELEVISION OUT; NO SALES; MANDATORY CREDIT TO BOTH THE SEATTLE TIMES AND THE PHOTOGRAPHER
FILE - In this April 17, 2015 file photo, bee keepers stand next to a semi-truck that rolled, spilling a load of honeybees on the Interstate 5 median at the Interstate 405 interchange near Lynnwood, Wash. The driver of the semi-truck that overturned last month has been fined $550 for the accident that sent millions of bees buzzing onto the highway. (Mike Siegel/The Seattle Times via AP, File) SEATTLE OUT; USA TODAY OUT; MAGS OUT; TELEVISION OUT; NO SALES; MANDATORY CREDIT TO BOTH THE SEATTLE TIMES AND THE PHOTOGRAPHER

LYNNWOOD, Wash. (AP) - The driver of a semitrailer carrying more than 13 million honeybees that overturned and scattered hives on a Washington highway last month has been fined $550.

The wreck backed up traffic for miles on Interstate 5 north of Seattle. Beekeepers scrambled to save as many bees as they could, but eventually firefighters sprayed foam on the hives, killing the insects used for pollinating crops as a safety measure.

The Daily Herald newspaper in Everett reports (http://is.gd/y2QKRQ ) that the Washington State Patrol cited the truck driver with second-degree negligent driving. Trooper Mark Francis says the 36-year-old Idaho man was driving too fast for conditions and the weight of the truck.

The state Department of Transportation is billing his insurer $6,400 for the costs of traffic control and crews needed to clear the highway.

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Information from: The Daily Herald, http://www.heraldnet.com

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