Suspicious Package Shuts Down Darien Service Plaza

The discovery of a suspicious package forced the closure of the I-95 north Darien Service Plaza for nearly two hours Sunday afternoon, disrupting traffic on an already busy travel weekend.

According to Sgt. Jeremiah Marron of the Darien Police Department, the shutdown was prompted when someone reported that a briefcase had been left unattended next to a trash can in front of the facility.

"Authorities didn't really think it was anything significant," Marron said, but given the sheer number of people coming through due to increased Memorial Day volume, they took the incident seriously and closed off the rest stop.

The Connecticut State Police Emergency Services Unit brought in canines trained in explosives detection, but authorities ultimately determined the object to be harmless.

Darien firefighters, who had also responded to the scene, were given the all-clear shortly before 3:00 p.m., Marron said.

The plaza, located between exits 12 and 13, houses a McDonalds, a Mobil station, and several other businesses.