A driver of a white box truck was arrested Sunday afternoon on Highway 231 in Lebanon, Tennessee, after “playing audio similar to what was heard before the Christmas Day explosion,” local investigators said.
The Rutherford county sheriff’s office said the truck was stopped on Murfreesboro Road about half an hour east of where a trailer explosion in downtown Nashville occurred just two days earlier. Nearby residents were evacuated, the sheriff’s cars blocked on the highway, and an explosive material detection robot was deployed to search the vehicle.
“The driver traveled from Rutherford County to Wilson County, where he was stopped by police and detained. As a precaution, the nearby residents were evacuated during the active investigation. The Rutherford and Wilson County Sheriff’s Office and the Highway Patrol of the Tennessee are working together on the ongoing investigation, “the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on Sunday detailing the incident.
From 4:40 pm local time, the highway was reopened after being closed due to the search for suspicious vehicles since 11 am.
No explosives were found in the suspicious truck that closed Highway 231 South on Sunday in Tennessee, authorities announced at around 4 pm local time after hours of searching the vehicle with machines as sheriff’s delegates closed the road.
Authorities confirmed to the Associated Press on Sunday that the trunk truck was playing audio similar to what the RV was transmitting before it exploded.
Live news and local reporters said the white truck was broadcasting an “evacuation message” from a loudspeaker, similar to the audio played by the trailer in Nashville on Christmas morning. There is no direct connection between the two incidents.
Highway 231 south from the entrance to Cedars of Lebanon State Park remains closed due to the suspicious vehicle, the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office announced Sunday afternoon at 1:29 pm local time.
“Please avoid the area and look for an alternative route,” asked the department’s official Twitter account.
The Rutherford county sheriff’s office announced that the truck was playing audio at about 10:30 am local time at Crossroads Market on Walter Hill. The person in the vehicle drove the truck out of the parking lot and was then stopped by police in neighboring Wilson County.
Newsweek contacted the local sheriff’s offices for additional details on Sunday afternoon.
This story was updated with additional information at 5:43 ET.
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