Rangers put down black bear hit on Sun Road. Motorist didn't report the collision

Glacier National Park rangers had to put down a black bear Sept. 23 after it was hit by a car on the Going-to-the-Sun Road.

The car did not stop or report the collision, the park said in a release. It is illegal to not report an accident within 24 hours, park spokeswoman Brandy Burke said.

She said rangers found out about the bear after visitors started calling in that it was still in the road, about 2 miles east of Rising Sun. The bear was put down about 2 p.m., about 20 minutes after the first calls came in.

Rangers, after consulting with the park’s wildlife biologist, euthanized the bear.

A field necropsy revealed a severely broken jaw, an injured foreleg and a potentially damaged ribcage and lung area. The male bear was estimated to be 2-1/2 to 5 years old and appeared to be in otherwise good health.

The location of the incident was in an area with vegetation close to the road, which could have obscured the bear’s movement onto the road and may have played a role.

While traveling in the park, Glacier reminds motorists it is important to remember that all roadways traverse wildlife habitat and speed limits should be observed for the safety of not only people, but wildlife as well.

Slower speeds allow drivers more time to react to the movements of wildlife that may be obscured from immediate view. If you have a motor vehicle incident in the park, report it to the nearest ranger or visitor center to prevent further harm to other visitors who could happen upon the animal along the roadway or other wildlife who may come to scavenge on the carcass, the park noted.

This story has been updated to note that it's illegal to not report an accident in the park.