All clear at Mercy Hospital; I-270 reopens

A bomb scare at Mercy Hospital in Creve Coeur, Mo. has ended after two suspicious packages found there were rendered safe by a bomb squad Monday.

One of those packages, which was located on the hospital’s helicopter landing pad, has been detonated by a bomb squad robot. The other, a duffel bag containing clothing that was on a sidewalk not far from the landing pad, also has been declared safe.

The discovery of the items forced the closure of both the northbound and southbound lanes of I-270 between I-64 and Ladue Road. The highway reopened shortly after 2 p.m.

In a statement, Creve Coeur police said they first responded to the hospital at 10:50 a.m. Monday. “The devices were initially located in a patient’s property,” the department said in a statement. “After a Mercy employee discovered the devices, that employee carried the items outside to the helipad area as a precaution.”

According to a statement from Mercy: “The first package was found in the emergency department. A Mercy co-worker took the device outside while the bomb squad responded. After officers safely secured that device, they found a second package.”

Incoming emergency patients were diverted to other hospitals while the scene was under police control.

This story was originally published June 13, 2016 at 12:47 PM with the headline "All clear at Mercy Hospital; I-270 reopens."