Bear cub dies Monday after being hit by vehicle in SE Colorado Springs

A bear cub was hit by a vehicle and died Monday morning in south Colorado Springs.

The crash happened near the intersection of Janitell Road and E. Las Vegas Street. (MAP)

Police said the bear died at the scene of the crash. No drivers or passengers were injured. The driver of the vehicle that hit the bear declined to comment.

The female bear was seen by several nearby employees as it ran through the area.

“I was sitting here on the phone, looked up and saw a bear come out of those bushes and start running toward the building,” said Jessica Gutierrez, who works at Platinum Powdercoating. “It just looked confused, kind of scared, trying to get over one of the fences.”
“We just tried to stay out of its way and hoped it’d get out of traffic,” said Caleb Schaffer, who works at a nearby crane business. “We were wishing we’d had better information on where to call, or who to involve in helping with it.”

Aaron Berscheid, a district manager with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, said the cub was a year old and likely was searching for new territory after being kicked out by its mother.

“At this time of the year, especially if the mom has new cubs, she’ll be kicking (the older cubs) loose,” he said.

Berscheid said the bear probably was living or traveling along nearby Fountain Creek, but found itself in a busy industrial area commonly used by dump trucks and other large vehicles.

The bear’s death isn’t a sign of increased bear activity, he said.

“It was in good health and had been eating well,” Berscheid said. “We’re not seeing bears any more often than we usually do. This one was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Bear/vehicle collisions are more common in the mountains. We rarely see them east of I-25.”

Berscheid said the incident should serve as a reminder for drivers to be alert for wildlife near or in traffic.