Bear Struck, Killed on I-80 in Parsippany

A black bear cub that made its way onto westbound Interstate 80 in Morris County was struck and killed after being hit by a Mercedes early Sunday morning, state police said.

The accident occurred around 2 a.m. near milepost 44 in Parsippany, according to police Sgt. Adam Grossman. The driver of the car was not injured, he said.

Grossman said troopers who responded to the scene put the bear down because of the extent of its injuries.

Additional information about the crash was not immediately available.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection plans to dispose of the bear.

While there were 111 bears struck by vehicles in New Jersey in 2012 and 115 in 2011, DEP spokesman Larry Ragonese said if there have been any other accidents involving bears on the interstate in Parsippany, they are rare.

He said the state picks up bears for research purposes. If a bear was tagged, officials might be able to determine its route of migration, how it grew and other information about its health.