Atlanta Airport Shut Because of Truck

May 2, 2005
Part of busy Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport was shut down for two hours Sunday after police found a suspicious truck apparently abandoned at a curb and a bomb-sniffing dog indicated the presence of explosives, airport police said.

ATLANTA (AP) -- Part of busy Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport was shut down for two hours Sunday after police found a suspicious truck apparently abandoned at a curb and a bomb-sniffing dog indicated the presence of explosives, airport police said.

A bomb technician found that the U-Haul truck contained fireworks and nonexplosive nitroglycerin heart medication pills, which is what the dog had detected, said airport police Maj. Darryl Tolleson.

The north terminal's baggage claim and ticketing area were closed and about 1,000 arriving travelers had to wait to receive their luggage, he said.

No criminal action was planned the truck renter who left the truck at the curb next to the terminal, Tolleson said.

''It appears the person was in a big hurry and in too big of a hurry to return the truck to U-Haul,'' he said.

At the same time, airport fire crews battled a blaze in a parking garage that destroyed six cars and caused minor damage to five other cars, said airport fire Chief Harold Miller. The fire likely was caused by an electrical problem in one of the cars, he said.