WATCH: Controlled explosion of suspicious item at New River Trail State Park

GALAX (WSLS 10) - On Friday afternoon, the state bomb unit was called to New River Trail State Park after a pressure cooker was found in the parking lot.

At approximately 1:16 p.m., Galax Police were notified by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Police that a suspicious item was found in the parking lot of the New River Trail State Park, at 212 E. Stuart Drive in Galax.

DCR police located an aluminum pressure cooker positioned in the parking lot with the lid sealed.

Galax Police responded to the scene and helped DCR Police secure the area.

Galax police then reached out to the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation and requested bomb unit agents come to the scene.

The agents used a controlled explosion to destroy the device at about 3:20 p.m. Stuart Dr. was closed to traffic during the detonation.

The pressure cooker was examined and found to contain no explosives or other contents.

Galax Fire-Rescue and Galax-Grayson EMS responded to the scene to assist as well.


Clark Fincher provided WSLS 10 with this video.