La Verne Bear Struck On 210 Freeway Euthanized

LA VERNE, CA — The bear that was struck by a car on a freeway on-ramp in La Verne on Monday morning was euthanized by state wildlife personnel, authorities said. The bear was struck by a car in the eastbound lanes of the 210 (Foothill) Freeway, west of the Fruit Street exit, according to the La Verne Police Department.

The approximately 200-pound bear was first spotted around 7:40 a.m. walking along Bowdoin Street before making its way onto the 210 freeway, La Verne police said. After it was struck, the bear was still alive and seen limping into an embankment of the freeway.

The California Highway Patrol had closed the Fruit Street on-ramp to the west 210 freeway.

California Department of Fish and Wildlife personnel twice tranquilized the bear around 9:40 a.m. but the animal continued to wander around the bushes. As the rain started to move into the area, the tranquilizers started to take effect and the animal was safely taken into custody about 10:30 a.m.

Authorities later determined that the bear had suffered broken bones and had to be euthanized.

There have been several bear encounters in and around La Verne in the past few weeks. Last Wednesday, a bear mauled a dog in La Verne. The dog was attacked about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday in the 5400 block of Edgewood Drive, police said. A week prior, a bear was spotted on security video taking a dip in a pool of another La Verne home.

Another bear-dog encounter was caught on video last Tuesday in the backyard of a home in Bradbury. That bear, which had an ear tag, did not harm the dog before the canine chased the bear off.

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A La Verne resident also reported hearing a commotion in a home's kitchen in the middle of the night a couple of weeks ago and found a bear eating honey and other food. It's not uncommon to encounter bears in the foothills area of the San Gabriel Valley, police said.

"We ask that you be vigilant and take precautions so as not to attract bears and other wildlife," La Verne police said in a statement.

The precautions residents can take include keeping their pets indoors and secured from possible attack, ensuring that pet food is not left outside and securing trash containers.

It's unclear right now if the injured bear in Monday's incident was the same bear that has been spotted in the area.

Photo courtesy of KTLA