Bumper-to-bumper traffic followed the total eclipse in the region on Monday

Bumper-to-bumper traffic followed the total eclipse in the region on Monday, but the overall public safety assessment on a day thousands of people visited was positive. People started coming into St. Johnsbury on the weekend, but a steady stream of vehicles flowed here all morning and parking areas filled up fast. Every spot in several village parking areas was taken by 1:30 p.m. Police officers and firefighters in the minutes following the eclipse totality reported being bogged down in traffic, but the emergency calls were minor and few, according to officials. Among the emergencies dispatched were a reported unconscious male in a port-potty who turn out to be asleep and a 3-year-old child who got separated from their family outside Fairbanks Museum minutes after everyone inside was told to exit ahead of the start of the eclipse. The child was quickly found by a Department of Public Services worker who connected the child with a police officer who helped get the child to their family.