CHISAGO COUNTY, Minn. — Two separate accidents in Chisago County involved bears, authorities said.
According to the Chisago County Sheriff’s Office, the first crash happened on County Road 9 near Almelund around 10:30 p.m.
“All things considered, the truck performed quite well,” the sheriff’s office said on social media. “Officers attempted to locate the bear using a thermal imaging device, but were unsuccessful. Hopefully the bear survived another day.”
The second happened around 1:20 a.m. on Interstate 35. The sheriff’s office said the vehicle was drivable after the crash and no one was injured.
There are no fewer than 1,000 18,000 black bears — the state’s only bear species — in Minnesota, according to the Department of Natural Resources. While sightings are not unusual in Chisago County, the sheriff’s office said responding to two crashes involving bears in one is unusual.
There was a wave of this last summer bear sightings in the Twin Cities. The DNR said the number of bears in the state is not growing, but they are appearing further west and south than normal.
Note: The above video originally aired on March 25, 2024.
WCCO personnel
