UPDATED: Bees swarm, sting motorists after car crash in La Canada Flintridge; two hospitalized

LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE >> An agitated hive of bees swarmed cars following a minor car crash Sunday, sending two people to the hospital with stings, officials said.
The incident began with a two-car crash shortly after 3 p.m. at Castle Road and Los Amigos Street, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. Jose Larios said.
The crash itself was not believed to involve injuries, however one of the cars ended up striking a tree that contained a bee hive, the sergeant said.
Disturbed by the impact, “The bees went everywhere,” Los Angeles County Fire Department Dispatch Supervisor Cheryl Sims said.
The insects swarmed into about a dozen nearby cars, she said.
Deputies arrived to find two people with many bees clinging to them, Latios said. Both were taken to a hospital with “numerous stings.”
Tt was not clear how many stings the victims suffered, Larios said. The conditions of the patients were not immediately available.
A deputy who responded to help suffered a single sting, but was fine, the sergeant added.
Firefighters remained on the scene more than an hour later.
“They’re foaming down the area to keep the bees from being active,” Sims said.
A La Canada Flintridge city beekeeper was summoned to the scene to deal with the swarming bees, Sims added.
There was no initial word regarding whether the swarm was composed of Africanized “killer” bees or ordinary bees.

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