Bear struck, badly injured by vehicle on Hwy 1 in Abbotsford
Posted October 3, 2023 9:25 am.
Last Updated October 3, 2023 6:19 pm.
A bear had to be killed by conservation officers Tuesday morning after being struck by a vehicle along Highway 1 in Abbotsford.
Abbotsford Police Department Const. Art Stele says officers received reports of a bear in the median, east of Whatcom and No. 3 roads just after 7:30 a.m.
Yeah, just saw it on the highway. pic.twitter.com/FiYMajBCG3
— Mukul Sidhwani (@sidhwanimukul) October 3, 2023
The BC Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) also attended the call, Stele adds, and found the bear had been hit by a vehicle.
“Conservation officers assessed the condition of the bear, which was injured and not mobile. The bear was euthanized due to its injuries,” BCCOS stated in an email to CityNews.
Stele says AbbyPD and BCCOS will be working together to understand where the bear came from, but the incident Tuesday morning is not common.
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“It is odd to have a bear on the highway here in Abbotsford, because we do not get these types of calls on a regular basis. We will be looking into what factors led to the bear coming onto the highway.”
Stele notes that it is a Motor Vehicle Act infraction for failing to remain at the scene of an accident, along with failing to report the accident.
“At this point, we [have not] been called by the persons that have struck the animal, however, investigators currently are looking into that and monitoring the situation of how this exactly happened and where the motorists are that did strike the bear.”
Stele confirms no other injuries have been reported to police, and Highway 1 is now flowing normally through the area.
