Hot air balloon makes emergency landing on Vermont highway

A hot air balloon operator was forced to make an emergency landing right in the middle of a major Vermont highway on Wednesday evening.

Around 8 p.m. Wednesday, the Hartford Fire Department said it received a report that a hot air balloon needed to land on Interstate 91 near Quarry Road in White River Junction after it stalled in flight, according to WPTZ. The operator was unable to secure another safe landing space and the sun had begun to set.

The balloon's operator, Chris Ritland, of Quechee Balloon Rides, was able to safely land the balloon in the highway median of I-91 just as emergency crews arrived at the scene. He was able to keep the balloon inflated until the left lane could be shut down to traffic in both directions.

Traffic continued to flow through the area as the balloon was packed away, which took about 30 minutes.

No injuries were reported.

White River Junction is a village within the town of Hartford and is located in eastern Vermont, along the New Hampshire border.