A bear was struck on Interstate 66 in Virginia early Tuesday morning.

The bear was found in an eastbound lane before the Manassas rest area, near the 48-mile marker.

Virginia State Police received a report about a dead animal several hours before dawn. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) responded and discovered it was a bear, a police spokeswoman said.

The right side of the roadway was blocked as crews removed the bear.

No vehicle was found at the scene, police said. A VDOT spokeswoman said if the driver was in a large vehicle, they may not have felt the impact. She didn't immediately have information on the size or type of bear that was struck.