Sunday night, San Mateo police were hit by an unexpected turn of events.
Literally.
At around 10:25 p.m. a San Mateo police officer hit a mountain lion when the big cat attempted to cross Highway 92 in San Mateo.
The officer was driving eastbound while on patrol, and saw that the mountain lion was bounding in and out of traffic lanes, going from left to right. Just after the Hillsdale Blvd. exit, the lion crossed into the lane the officer was in.
Despite hitting the brakes, the officer hit the lion with the patrol car. The officer scoped out the area but couldn't find the big cat after the impact. It's unknown if the lion sustained any injuries.
The officer was unharmed by the incident, but there was significant damage to the car, with small patches of animal fur left on the vehicle.
The San Mateo Police Department issued a community alert following the incident, emphasizing that it is unlikely that a mountain lion will approach a person.
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