Man ticketed for hitting, killing bear with car

Police say a 20-year-old man has been ticketed for underage drinking and failing to report an accident after he hit and killed a large black bear with his car in Steamboat Springs.

Steamboat Today reports the 400- to 500-pound bear was hit Tuesday night, and the man told police about it the following day because he could not get his car towed without reporting the accident. The driver’s name has not been released.

Sgt. Rich Brown says the man told investigators the bear ran in front of his car, which sustained severe front-end damage.

The bear’s hide was salvaged and will be auctioned in the spring.