Several Crashes Involving Moose Reported In Maine In Past Week

PORTLAND, Maine (CBS/AP) - A warning to drivers heading to Maine: several crashes involving moose have been reported in the state in the past couple of weeks.

A state trooper responding to a crash involving a car and a moose in northern Maine was himself injured when his cruiser struck a moose on Tuesday.

Trooper Dennis Quint was headed north on U.S. Route 1 in Cyr Plantation at about 11:30 p.m. in response to a crash involving a moose farther up the highway when the animal crossed the road in front of him and he was unable to avoid it.

Quint was treated at a hospital for cuts to his head and hands. His cruiser was totaled.

Two women were injured in the initial crash that Quint was responding to.

A Brewer man died when his vehicle struck a moose on Interstate 95 in Howland early Tuesday.

Last week, a driver somehow survived a collision that ended with the moose inside the car. Photos posted on Facebook by Ashley Stoddard show the damage to the car.

Maine has more than 500 moose collisions each year.

At 500 to 1,000 pounds, with long legs and top-heavy bodies, experts warn that moose can cause significant damage in collisions. Car crashes with moose can be particularly deadly for motorists, with the vehicle knocking the legs out from under the animal and the top of its body slamming through the windshield.

They say drivers should try to brake upon seeing moose, which are less likely than deer to move from the road.

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