GREEN LAKE TOWNSHIP (WWJ) -- A hit-and-run crash in northern Michigan involving a black bear ended in tragedy.
According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, a female black bear had to be euthanized after being struck by a car on Sunday evening in Grand Traverse County.
The crash occurred near the intersection of M-31 and South Long Lake Road, after which the driver fled the scene.
A nearby witness alerted emergency services to the situation, and experts from the DNR arrived on the scene to examine the injured animal.
The bear’s hind legs were reportedly badly hurt, rendering them unusable, and the decision was made to euthanize.
It remains unclear if the female black bear had any cubs, but DNR wildlife biologist Steve Griffith says cubs can survive on their own beginning when they are about 7 months old.
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The driver involved in the crash has not been located.