Bear Hit by Car on I-270 in Germantown (Photos)

UPDATED

Montgomery County police responded to a car accident involving a black bear on July 7 at about 9:10 a.m. on southbound I-270 at Father Hurley Boulevard in Germantown. There were no injuries to motorists, police said.

According to police, the responding officers found the bear in a wooded area adjacent to the highway. The bear’s injuries were so severe that an officer had to put the animal down.

Montgomery County Police Captain Jim Daly said the bear was shot by an officer and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) was called in to retrieve the bear. Daly described the bear as a young bear.

A DNR park ranger transported the bear to Seneca Creek State Park where it will be examined by DNR officials on Monday, July 8 to determine its exact age and composition.

At the park today, Maryland Natural Resources Police Officer Richard Doney described the bear as a two-year-old male, weighing slightly over 100 pounds. He said the bear was suffering from serious injuries to his rear quarter from the car accident when police officers located him in the woods. He said the bear was put down so it would not “suffer.” According to Doney, this bear did not have metal tags in its ears so it is not believed to be the bear recently captured in Washington, D.C., tagged and relocated to the McKee Wildlife Management Area.

Although there have been several reports of bear sightings in Montgomery County this summer, Doney said he could not remember the last time a bear was hit by a car in Montgomery County.

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