Bees swarm deputy's cruiser in Wake County

A Wake County sheriff's deputy found himself in the middle of a swarm of bees Tuesday when he went to check on a report of a disabled truck near the Smithfield Road exit off U.S. Highway 64.

The truck, pulling a trailer of honeybee hives being moved from Mount Airy to Rocky Mount, broke down before dawn, said Phyllis Stephens, a spokeswoman for the sheriff's office. When the sun rose and the bees became active, they began to fly around.

Deputy Brandon Jenkins took shelter in his car, which was quickly covered with the bees.

The sheriff's office called for help from local beekeeper Charles Heatherly and Jennifer Keller, from the apiculture department at North Carolina State University. The experts spritzed the bees with sugar water and coaxed many of them back into boxes for transport.

Those that remained on the deputy's car were scattered as he drove away, Stephens said.