Bear struck and killed by car on 210 Freeway in La Crescenta
Motorists on the Foothill (210) Freeway in La Crescenta got a scare Saturday night after a bear wandered into traffic and was fatally struck by a car.
The bear was first seen on the Pennsylvania Avenue on-ramp for the eastbound side of the freeway around 9:40 p.m.
Officer Xavier Bejar, a spokesman with California Highway Patrol’s Altadena office, said the bear then wandered onto surface streets before reappearing on the 210 near La Crescenta Avenue.
The bear was struck multiple times and suffered fatal injuries, according to Bejar.
Andrew Hughan, a spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, said it’s a sad but not unusual occurrence for bears to be struck by a vehicle.
“It happens several times a year,” he said. “This time a year, there is lots and lots of bear activities right now. The bears are coming out of the winter period looking for food.”
A female bear previously wandered onto the 210 in La Verne on May 15 and was struck by a passing vehicle. The bear sustained a broken leg and was later euthanized as a result of the injury.
In April, a bear was struck and killed after running across the 118 Freeway in Porter Ranch.
Twitter: @Andy_Truc
