MARION, MASS. (WHDH) - A car hit a black bear on Interstate 195 in Marion on Thursday morning.
A state trooper responding to a reported crash found that the bear had been hit by a car while attempting to cross I-195 westbound around 10:45 a.m., according to Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife District Supervisor Jason Zimmer. The bear reportedly retreated back into the woods north of the road following the crash.
“I strongly believe that this bear is the same one that has been roaming throughout many towns in SE Mass over the past month or so and that some have been referring to as boo-boo, south shore bear, etc.,” said Zimmer.
The impact of the collision sent the car into the woods, according to the Marion Fire Department.
Despite efforts to locate the bear incase it had been injured, Zimmer was unable to find any signs of it in the woods.
“It sounds as if this bear was able to move off into the habitat with whatever injuries it has, I did a grid search of the woods to where it was hit and didn’t come up with any signs of it,” Zimmer said.
On average, approximately 30-40 bears die as a result of vehicle collisions, according to Zimmer. A majority of those incidents occur on interstate and state highways.
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