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Traffic builds after Lego lands on West Virginia highway Traffic builds after Lego lands on West Virginia highway
(about 1 month later)
It was not the call that the fire department in Anmoore, West Virginia, was expecting: hold-ups on the interstate would usually be attributed to car crashes or medical emergencies. But this time, the traffic chaos was due to something altogether more unusual: thousands of brightly colored Lego pieces strewn across the highway.It was not the call that the fire department in Anmoore, West Virginia, was expecting: hold-ups on the interstate would usually be attributed to car crashes or medical emergencies. But this time, the traffic chaos was due to something altogether more unusual: thousands of brightly colored Lego pieces strewn across the highway.
The bricks, apparently, had burst out of a container that slipped from the roof of a car. The resulting debris took hours to clean up and caused delays for hundreds of drivers.The bricks, apparently, had burst out of a container that slipped from the roof of a car. The resulting debris took hours to clean up and caused delays for hundreds of drivers.
The incident happened on Sunday afternoon on Interstate 79 in Harrison County, West Virginia. Eric McClain, a firefighter with the Anmoore fire department, said that a strap came loose on the car roof. "It fell off, the container burst open, and they just went all over," he told the Guardian.The incident happened on Sunday afternoon on Interstate 79 in Harrison County, West Virginia. Eric McClain, a firefighter with the Anmoore fire department, said that a strap came loose on the car roof. "It fell off, the container burst open, and they just went all over," he told the Guardian.
McClain and three other Anmoore firefighters cleared the road of what he estimated to be between 2,000 and 5,000 separate Lego pieces. They cleared the road within about 30 minutes, leaving the Lego owner and highway officials to pick up the rest, in a operation that took "hours and hours", McClain said.McClain and three other Anmoore firefighters cleared the road of what he estimated to be between 2,000 and 5,000 separate Lego pieces. They cleared the road within about 30 minutes, leaving the Lego owner and highway officials to pick up the rest, in a operation that took "hours and hours", McClain said.
"The people who owned them took them back as much as they could and picked up as much as they could," McClain said."The people who owned them took them back as much as they could and picked up as much as they could," McClain said.
According to McClain, the department usually responds to medical calls and car wrecks on the interstate, and he said he had never responded to an incident like this before.According to McClain, the department usually responds to medical calls and car wrecks on the interstate, and he said he had never responded to an incident like this before.
McClain's photo of the accident was posted on the North Central and Central WV Working Fires Facebook page and quickly went viral.McClain's photo of the accident was posted on the North Central and Central WV Working Fires Facebook page and quickly went viral.
A Facebook user named Tiffany Lantz claimed the Lego pieces belonged to her 11-year-old son. In a post that the Guardian has not been able to verify, she said she picked up as many as possible because she wouldn't be able afford any more. She apologized to anyone who was stuck in traffic.A Facebook user named Tiffany Lantz claimed the Lego pieces belonged to her 11-year-old son. In a post that the Guardian has not been able to verify, she said she picked up as many as possible because she wouldn't be able afford any more. She apologized to anyone who was stuck in traffic.
In response, many commenters asked for her to get in touch and to see if there was a way to donate more Lego pieces to her son.In response, many commenters asked for her to get in touch and to see if there was a way to donate more Lego pieces to her son.
"There's just a ton of people who want to give this kid Legos. There are people from all over the country who want to give the kid Legos. It's amazing," McClain said."There's just a ton of people who want to give this kid Legos. There are people from all over the country who want to give the kid Legos. It's amazing," McClain said.
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