Black Bear Killed in Collision on Route 5 Near Little Falls

Talk about a wild encounter. Hitting a deer that runs into the road is one thing, but a bear? It happened in Central New York.

A driver had a startling encounter on Route 5 near Little Falls when a big black bear ran out of the woods—and right into their vehicle.

Tim Zaleski came across the bear lying in the road and shared a video of the incident on social media.

Thankfully, the driver wasn’t injured.

According to reports, it was dark when the bear emerged, making it nearly impossible to see. The driver was traveling at the normal speed limit and even tried to slow down, but the bear was already in the path of the car.

The bear died almost instantly on impact. "It picked its head up for a moment and then dropped it and didn't move again," explained Morgan Vance.

A frightening reminder of how quickly wildlife can appear on the road, and not just deer.

Bears in New York State

There are between 6,000 to 8,000 bears in New York State, according to the DEC.

50-60% live in the Adirondacks
30-35% live in the Catskills
10-15% live in the Central-Western region

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Although most bears typically live in the mountains, more are venturing into neighborhoods as development continues to shrink their natural habitat with new homes and businesses.

Tips to Avoid Bears

The DEC has tips on what to do if you happen to run into a bear.

Do:

Make noise to scare the bears away: Yell, clap, or bang pots.
Stay calm: Walk slowly and speak in a loud and calm voice.
Leave slowly: Cautiously back away from the bear.

Don't:

Approach, surround, or corner a bear: Bears aggressively defend themselves when they feel threatened. Be especially cautious around cubs as mother bears are very protective.
Run from a bear: They may run after you.
Throw anything at an approaching bear: This will only encourage bears to approach and "bully" people to get food.
If a bear charges you stand your ground.
If a bear makes contact with you: Fight back with anything at hand (knife, stick, rocks, or fists).