Snellville motorists and residents got caught in some unexpected traffic Monday on Scenic Highway.

The culprit was an exploded transformer. 

Police at the scene said the transformer exploded at approximately 3:30 pm and was immediately engulfed in flames.  The transformer burned for several minutes until electrical crews extinguished the flames. 

“It burned for a good while,” said Sgt. John McKinney of the Snellville Police Department. “It was covered in flames.”

The cause of the electrical spike that caused the explosion was unknown to the crews on the scene, but the connected electrical lines were deemed too dangerous for drivers.  Snellville Police and firefighters from station No. 12 Fire Station No. 12 quickly arrived on the scene to divert drivers from the hazardous stretch of Scenic Highway.

Squad cars and fire trucks blocked off the highway, and traffic was diverted into the Snellville Pavilion parking lot and Harbour Oaks Drive, resulting in an increase in traffic both on Highway 124 and surrounding neighborhoods.