WESTFIELD – Although four fawns were safely shooed away from vehicular hazards on Southampton Road recently, other woodland creatures have not been as lucky.
Motorists, particularly those traveling on the more rural roads of the city, will be well advised to be particularly watchful for animals in the roadway after at least three collisions in the past two weeks have injured or killed animals.
On Monday, Aug. 12, a motorist who had been traveling on North Road reported that her 2013 Honda Odyssey struck a baby bear about 6 p.m. resulting in possible injury to the cub and damage to her mini-van.
The caller said that the bear left the area after the crash but a nearby resident reported about an hour and a half later that the bear cub was in his yard. He reported to police that the cub appeared to be injured and was “not moving very well.”
Ken Frazer, the director of animal control operations reports the case was referred to the environmental police.
Amy Mahler, a spokesperson for the Environmental Police Department, subsequently reported that the responding environmental police officer found that the bear had left resident’s lawn and moved into thickly wooded area nearby. The officer was unable to find the young bear.
Two days later, another wild animal was struck by a vehicle, this time on City View Boulevard, with a fatal result.
Frazer reported shortly after 2 p.m. on Wednesday that the deer was found, deceased, after it was struck by a vehicle.
A second deer was struck and killed on North Road Saturday, police report.
In that incident, a witness reported that the deer was thrown into the air after it was stuck by a Jeep Cherokee which did not stop but continued traveling toward Holyoke. The responding officer reports that he and a passing motorist were able to moved the deer carcass from the roadway pending disposal.
Another bear cub was seen on the other side of the city recently when it reportedly crossed the road in front of a motorist on General Knox Road, about a mile over the Russell boundary.
The motorist avoided contact with that cub and thus the sighting was not reported to police.
