Black bear killed in Vermont car crash

GUILFORD, Vt., Oct. 16 (UPI) -- A car struck and killed a black bear on Interstate 91 in Vermont, but the occupants of the vehicle were uninjured, police said.

Herbert Jernow, 71, and Judith Jernow, 68, of Bridgewater, N.H., were traveling south Monday when their car collided with the bear at about 9 p.m. in Guilford, Vt., the Brattleboro (Vt.) Reformer reported Friday.

Vermont State Police Trooper Tyson Kenney of the Brattleboro Barracks said a colleague told him another bear was hit by a car at a different location on I-91 the same night. He said collisions with bears are less common than deer-related crashes, but the dark color of the animals makes them difficult to spot at night.

"Bears are just like moose -- they're hard to see due to their dark color, and they just didn't see it until it was too late," Kenney said.

The vehicle, a 2003 Toyota Sienna, sustained moderate damage to its front end, investigators said.

The bear carcass was removed from the roadway by the Brattleboro game warden.