Bear struck by vehicle south of Denver, Colorado Parks and Wildlife working on rescue

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is working to rescue a bear who was struck by a vehicle in Lone Tree on Wednesday.

The Lone Tree Police Department says the one-year-old bear was hit around 8:30 a.m. on Yosemite Street near Heritage Hills Parkway. Although the driver of the vehicle was uninjured, police say the bear was injured in the crash.

Police say they've managed to tranquilize the bear so they can take care of it. They believe its leg might be broken and want to take it to a facility to help heal it.

LTPD says the incident started when a neighbor saw the bear in their backyard. By the time they arrived at the scene, the crash had already happened.

Lone Tree Police Commander Ron Pinson said, "You have to pay attention while you're driving down the road. Whether it's a person or an animal or whatever. You should be aware. You can swerve around them. Avoid them. Slow down. Just let them have a path to get through."

Police closed the roadway for over an hour, but it has since reopened.

LPD advised that there has been bear activity in the area and asked the community to give bears their distance. They say most bear-human conflicts involve food and asked residents to be sure to keep their trash containers closed, grills clean and food stored properly.