MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WKRN) – A car outside of a Murfreesboro restaurant resulted in the evacuation of multiple businesses and the closure of a major intersection early Tuesday morning.

First responders were sent to the First Watch in the 1900 block of Medical Center Parkway just after 9:30 a.m. to respond to reports of a bomb that was attached to a car.

According to Murfreesboro police, nearby buildings were evacuated, and several schools in the Siegel school zone were placed on lockdown as investigators assessed the scene.

“They told us there was a bomb threat and basically screamed at us to get out of the building,” Leslie Huggins said.

Huggins contacted News 2 after she was evacuated from a building near the First Watch.

The 1900 block of Medical Center Parkway from Thompson Lane to Joe Knight Drive was also shut down as a precaution for nearly two hours.

Motorists had to use Broad Street to access St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital. The hospital released a statement as the investigation was ongoing to assure that there were no threats to patients or staff.

A suspicious object was reported at a neighboring restaurant. We are working with Murfreesboro Police to ensure safety in the area. There is not a threat to the hospital at this time. The hospital will remain accessible, and services are not impacted.

Ascension St. Thomas Rutherford

Authorities reported that the call resulted in a massive response from local, state and federal agencies.

Murfreesboro police later cleared the scene after discovering that the “suspicious device” on the vehicle was actually a rubber bumper that was attached to the passenger side of the car with duct tape and wires.

The wires were connected to a suction cup on the inside door handle. The man allegedly told police that he attached the rubber bumper to his vehicle to “prevent dents.”

“We had a massive, massive response to this location to find out it was a man who was trying to prevent his car from being dented,” Larry Flowers, Murfreesboro’s public safety public information officer, said.

According to police, the man was standing with other evacuees across the street, unaware that it was his car that prompted the bomb threat calls. Since there was no intent to cause harm, authorities said the man will not be charged.

No other information was immediately released.