Two people from Arizona were injured Monday night after their automobile hit a bear on U.S. Highway 160 east of Mancos.
Colorado State Patrol Capt. Adrian Driscoll said the crash occurred about 10:37 p.m. on U.S. Highway 160 near Road J9, about two miles east of town.
Charlotte Merrill, 32, of Arizona, apparently crashed her Lexus into a bear that was crossing the highway. The bear was found dead at the scene, and Merrill and a passenger were transported to Southwest Memorial Hospital with minor injuries.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers collected the bear, Driscoll said.
This was the latest of several recent bear sightings in Montezuma County. Montezuma County Sheriff’s deputies have been conducting extra patrols in the Dolores area for several weeks to scare away bears that come into town to eat trash out of residents’ dumpsters, and Mesa Verde National Park is starting a volunteer program to educate visitors about bear safety. Other bear sightings this year have not resulted in reported injuries, though the animals have caused some property damage.