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'Suspicious package' full of insulation, Roanoke County police say

A passerby called 911 after seeing a man place the box by the side of the road, then leave.

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Jordan Fifer | 981-3349

Saturday, September 14, 2013

The suspicious package that prompted the brief closure of Plantation Road in Roanoke County on Friday morning was nothing more than a cardboard box full of insulation, officials said.

Still, Roanoke County police Assistant Chief Chuck Mason said a passer-by who called in the report did the right thing by phoning 911 when the individual saw a man place the box on the side of the road.

Police and emergency personnel shut down Plantation between Interstate 81 and Williamson Road, in front of the Exelis facility, after receiving the report.

They soon also shut down the on- and off-ramps to and from I-81 north and south on Plantation, according to Jason Bond, a spokesman for the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Mason said the 911 caller told dispatchers that a man placed a box on the side of the road and left, prompting officers to respond.

"Given the nature of that building, we were a little concerned," Mason said.

Exelis, formerly known as ITT Night Vision, is a defense contractor that produces military-grade night vision equipment at its Roanoke County factory.

A Virginia State Police bomb squad responded and X-rayed the cardboard box. Officials determined that there was no threat.

Officers were able to locate the man whom the passer-by had seen, Mason said. The man had apparently moved the box to the side of the road to avoid it being hit by traffic, but that went unseen by the 911 caller, Mason said.

Mason said the caller "did exactly what they should have."

He said the police took appropriate precautions given the information they initially had.

Plantation Road was closed for less than an hour.

Staff writer Zach Crizer contributed to this report.

Saturday, September 14, 2013