Second Bear Struck By Car In As Many Days In Los Angeles County

CASTAIC, CA — For the second night in a row, a driver struck and killed a bear in Los Angeles County.

Both incidents occurred in the Castaic area. Such incidents are rare in the region. While mountain lions are all-too-frequently killed by cars, bears rarely are struck by vehicles in Los Angeles County. It's not as necessary for them to cross freeways to find a mate and carve out their own territory. While Mountain Lions in the Santa Monica Mountains are surrounded by freeways, bears have the reign of the San Gabriel Mountain Range to roam.

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The latest crash occurred about 11:45 p.m. Tuesday on eastbound state Route 126 near Chiquito Canyon, according to the California Highway Patrol. Video from the scene showed the bear's carcass on the right shoulder of the freeway. There was no report of the driver being injured.

About 11:55 p.m. Monday, officers responded to a stretch of the Golden State (5) Freeway near Cherry Canyon, where a Nissan Altima struck and killed a bear, which was found in the center divider of the freeway. The car sustained major front-end damage, the CHP said.

There were no immediate reports of any injuries to anyone in the vehicle.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.