260-pound black bear struck, killed in Kentucky car crash

Published 5:17 am Friday, May 14, 2021

A 262-pound black bear died when it was struck by a car along a Kentucky road, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The animal was hit just after 10 p.m. Wednesday on a highway near Muldraugh, Anthony Lee, the city’s assistant fire chief and public works director, told the Lexington Herald-Leader.

The car involved in the crash suffered moderate damage, but nobody inside was injured, Lee said.

Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists retrieved the bear’s body and took measurements.

The crash came after several reports of bear sightings in the area, and biologists were already on call to “respond to nuisance bear activity,” according to Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman Kevin Kelly.

“It’s not unusual in the early summer for young male bears to wander outside of the established bear range in Eastern Kentucky,” Kelly said.

He advised residents to keep a safe distance, never approach bears and to secure all food and garbage to keep the animals out.

Muldraugh is about 34 miles (55 kilometers) south of Louisville.