An eastern rat snake was the culprit behind rush hour traffic in Virginia Monday morning, after the reptile cut power to traffic lights at a busy intersection, authorities said.

The traffic light outage was reported around 8:45 a.m. at the intersection of Prince William Parkway and Sudley Manor Drive, the Prince William County Police Department said.

When a responding officer and a Virginia Department of Transportation technician opened the electrical box for the traffic signals, the pair noticed a large snake slithering among the wires, the Prince William Times reported.

Animal Control Officer B. White was called to assist Crash Investigator J. Lewton in removing the snake, which was relocated to a safe location.

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The eastern rat snake is the most common snake found in Virginia, according to the Virginia Herpetological Society. It is nonvenomous and considered harmless.

Officials told the paper that the snake likely entered the box in search of food after they found evidence of a bird’s nest inside.

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Once the snake was out of the box, the technician discovered the reptile had wriggled across two breaker switches, which had turned off the power to the traffic lights. The switches were reset, restoring power to the lights.

Traffic had been snarled for about 45 minutes before the traffic lights resumed working, and officers had been conducting traffic, the paper reported.

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Authorities reminded motorists to treat traffic signals that have lost power like stop signs and to use extreme caution when proceeding.

At least 84 people have been exposed to a suspected irritant gas at a high school in southwestern Germany, according to German news agency dpa.

Both students and teachers experienced mostly slight health effects at the school in the town of Singen, dpa said. Three students and a teacher, however, had to be taken to the hospital after experiencing severe respiratory problems.

The school was evacuated and police cordoned off the area Wednesday. It was not immediately clear if the incident involved a leak or a spill.

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During the fourth lesson, several students suddenly complained of respiratory problems and teachers began evacuating the building and making emergency calls. Symptom-free students were taken to a nearby church, where they were picked up by their parents, dpa reported.

Irritant gases include ammonia, chlorine, hydrogen chloride and sulfur dioxide. Inhaling their vapors can cause respiratory problems.