‘Suspicious package’ that closed street outside March Madness was just clothes

A street near Colonial Life Arena was closed because of a suspicious package, police said Sunday.

The package was under a car on Lincoln Street between Gervais and Senate Streets and had to be retrieved with a remote-controlled vehicle. The package was found in the popular Vista entertainment district two blocks from Colonial Life Arena just before Duke played University of Central Florida for round two of the NCAA March Madness Tournament.

For more than an hour, police were preventing cars or pedestrians from crossing the street or sidewalk near the package. At around 5 p.m., police cleared the scene and began allowing traffic to resume as normal, said Columbia Police Lt. Rick White.

Asked what was in the package, White said “It just turned out to be somebody’s clothing,” White said.