This was anything but the typical trip to the grocery store. What was intended to be a quick stop at an Albertsons supermarket in Las Cruces, New Mexico last Sunday afternoon could have had a fatal conclusion.

A still-unidentified man finished his shopping and was returning to his old Buick Park Avenue, a predecessor to the now-discontinued Buick LaCrosse, when he discovered something wasn't quite right. As he started to drive away he noticed a swarm of bees were inside. The guy made the mistake of leaving the rear window open, and if he suddenly made the wrong move, the swarm could have gone after him.

Off-duty firefighter and paramedic, Jesse Johnson, said the driver quickly called 911 because he didn't know what else to do. Fortunately, one of Johnson's hobbies happens to be beekeeping. He was the perfect person to respond to the call. Keeping the driver safe was obviously his main goal, but he also didn't want anything to happen to the bees.

"I'll do anything to keep people from killing the bees," Johnson told The New York Times. "Luckily, when bees are swarming, they're pretty docile. They don't have a home to protect for a moment. It's much more intimidating than it is dangerous."

Johnson arrived on the scene wearing his beekeeper's jacket and veil, and then approached the Buick with an empty hive box treated with lemongrass oil. "It really mimics the scent of the queen," he said.

In less than 30 minutes, Johnson managed to relocate the swarm, estimated by fire department officials to be around 15,000 bees. The driver watched this unfold at a safe distance and was concerned the car would be damaged because he borrowed it from a friend. Fortunately, there no major injuries, though one supermarket security guard and a firefighter were stung. The car was just fine as Johnson took extra time to make sure no bees were left behind.