MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — A 400-pound male black bear was killed Monday morning after getting hit by a car on Southwest Martin Highway near Southwest Warfield Boulevard, according to the Martin County Sheriff's Office.
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Major Ruben Romero with the sheriff's office said the driver was not speeding, and stopped and waited until deputies arrived.
The driver told deputies that the bear ran into the roadway before being struck by the vehicle.
The driver was not injured in the incident, but the bear died at the scene.
Romero said it's important for drivers to be aware of any wildlife, especially on rural roads during morning or evening hours.
"You never know what could jump out in front of you,” he said.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) removed the bear from the scene.
WPTV listened to Michael Orlando, bear program coordinator with FWC.
Orlando said he believes the bear was in the middle of dispersing — that's when bears get old enough to leave their mother and pack to find a new home.
"They'll walk in 50, 100 miles in any direction, just try to figure out where they're going,” said Orlando.
The sheriff’s office said the bear is currently with FWC in Collier County, where they will collect data to determine where it came from.
This is the second bear sighting on the Treasure Coast this month. A black bear was caught on camera swimming through a waterway in the Town Park community of Port St. Lucie on June 2.
