Minor injuries reported after SR-299E bear strike

BURNEY, Calif. — Minor injuries were reported after a passenger vehicle struck a bear earlier today, Wednesday, Aug. 26.

The bear was last seen running toward Big Bend after the collision, which happened on SR-299E, about five miles west of Hatchet Summit and one mile east of the highway’s rest area.

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CHP and other emergency emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene of the crash shortly after noon, after receiving reports of the collision.

When officials arrived they found a silver Chevy Spark with heavy front-end and passenger-side damage with all airbags deployed.

A vehicle versus bear collision on SR-299E between Hatchet Summit and Big Bend Rd. earlier this afternoon caused minor injuries to the driver. SCNS photo

The driver, an Alturas woman, sustained minor injuries to her hand from the airbag deployment, but did not require hospitalization after the collision.

Although it was unknown if the “big-sized black bear” was injured, it was last seen running toward Big Bend after the collision.

The victim’s vehicle was later towed from the scene.

Firefighters work at the scene of today’s bear strike that caused minor injuries to the driver who struck the bear; which was last seen running toward Big Bend after the collision. Dana Sherwood photo

In recent days there have been several bear sightings and near strikes along 299E, including one that was captured on dashcam video Aug. 13.

Video filmed from inside the vehicle as it rounded a blind curve, and can be viewed below, showed the bear running down the westbound lane of the winding, two-lane mountain roadway just east of Fenders Ferry Rd.

With inches to spare, the driver managed to swerve around the bear, narrowly avoiding a collision.

Another bear encounter, which involved a big-rig and proved fatal for the bear, occurred earlier this month on SR-299E near SR-89; while at least two other near-strikes have been reported on social media this month.

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Contacted for more information, a CHP representative said the best way to avoid vehicle versus wildlife strikes is to drive within the speed limit or slower, depending on roadway and weather conditions; to have fully functioning front lighting equipment; and to drive with high-beams on when not faced with oncoming traffic, to allow for better visibility and increased response times.

CHP also advised against swerving to avoid wildlife strikes while traveling in the mountains, so as not to cause a worse accident or potentially hit other, oncoming vehicles.


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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 48, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, (the now defunct) Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 29 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 16 grandchildren.