Bicycle commuting in a city can be dangerous and frustrating, no doubt about it. If we endure a honk or middle finger from an obscenity-spouting motorist we grumble about it for the entire morning. Hell, we might even let it ruin our day. But the next time you think you have a rough bike commute, try to imagine that of Jim Litz, a 57-year-old science teacher in Missoula, Montana, who collided with a 300-pound black bear on his way to work earlier this month.
The Commute
Litz was on his typical morning ride down Bear Run Creek Road, a veritable bear gauntlet, where he regularly sees (and avoids) the bears that cross the road or hang out to eat the berries and bear feed on the side. He was going at a good clip – 25 mph – to Target Range Middle School, where he teaches science to seventh- and eighth-graders.
The (Bear)icade
As he crested a rise in the dirt road Litz saw a massive black bear in the road 10 feet in front of him. The bear was likely not paying attention, as it didn’t run off the road and out of sight, as, in Litz’s experience, they always had. Litz didn’t have time to stop and slammed directly into the animal, T-boning its broad side.
The Crash
According to a report on the Missoulian, “the bear rolled over Litz’s head, and its mass cracked his helmet. As the duo toppled over one another, the bear clawed at Litz’s cycling jacket, scratching his flesh from shoulder to buttocks before scampering up a hill above the road, where it stopped and whined.”
The Aftermath
Litz’s wife picked up her husband and took him to the doctor. He immediately called Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to report the accident. Wardens reported that the bear, like Litz, was likely suffering from bruised ribs but otherwise fine.
The moral
Some motorists might be loud-mouthed pigs, but at least they aren’t bears.
If you found this interesting, here’s another bear vs cyclist story to peruse…
[Via Missoulian, Treehugger]
