WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The West Palm Beach Police Department said an unattended U-Haul rental truck prompted the closure of Parker Avenue.
WATCH BELOW:
The incident occurred Thursday just after 9:30 a.m. when a police officer on patrol spotted the truck that seemed out of place at Howard Park. K-9 officers trained for bomb detection responded and the dog alerted the truck, police said.
West Palm Beach police said commercial grade fireworks and cleaning materials were found.
"The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office bomb unit was nearby at the convention center, doing some sweeps. They were there on scene with us and they took the lead on exploring and getting into the U-Haul," Police Chief Antonio Araujo told WPTV.
WATCH BELOW: West Palm Beach police chief gives update on unattended vehicle
Priscilla Gonzalez told WPTV's Ethan Stein that she is a single mother in the process of moving, and for three days she was bringing two U-Hauls back and forth to a storage locker and parking in the lot overnight. She said her family's possessions were scattered over the ground and she was left picking up the mess with her four children.
“They’re asking if they can go home, that they’re tired and they’re hot," Gonzalez said. "I’m not a criminal, I’m a single mom."
The unattended U-Haul closed down traffic for hours Thursday, impacting commuters. Drivers were forced to detour to Belvedere Road and Southern Boulevard to travel south of Okeechobee Boulevard, in addition to Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard to travel north of Okeechobee Boulevard.
The incident also brought on concerns as President Donald Trump is expected to speak at the nearby Kravis Center on Friday, however, Araujo told WPTV's Ethan Stein the way today's situation was handled is standard protocol.
"Anytime there's a dignitary in town, whether it's a president, we would have done this regardless, because it seemed out of place," Araujo said.
Gonzalez said the fireworks found outside the car do not belong to her.
