Eastern Minnesota authorities respond to 2 crashes involving bears in 1 night
CHISAGO COUNTY, Minn. — Two separate crashes in Chisago County overnight involved bears, authorities said.
The first crash occurred on County Road 9 near Almelund around 10:30 p.m., according to the Chisago County Sheriff's Office.
"The truck faired pretty well all things considered," the sheriff's office said on social media. "Deputies tried to locate the bear using a thermal imaging device but were unsuccessful. Hopefully the bear lived to fight another day."
The second happened on Interstate 35 around 1:20 a.m. The sheriff's office said the vehicle was drivable after the crash and no one was injured.
There are as many as 18,000 black bears — the state's only bear species — in Minnesota, according to the Department of Natural Resources. While sightings in Chisago County are not uncommon, the sheriff's office said responding to two crashes involving bears in one is unusual.
Last summer, there was a spate of bear sightings in the Twin Cities. The DNR said the number of bears in the state isn't growing, but they are showing up further west and south than usual.
Note: The video above originally aired March 25, 2024.