Boulder’s Famous Falling Bear Survived the Fall, But Not a Highway Collision
OutdoorHub Reporters 05.04.12
Supposedly cats have nine lives, but bears apparently only have two. The bear that was made famous in a viral video by University of Colorado student Andy Duann finally met its maker during its second encounter with the civilized, developed world.
Before dawn on Thursday May 3, the bear wandered onto U.S. Highway 36 and was hit by two cars. The driver of the first car, a 1992 Toyota Camry, Hugo Silva-Arellan, 31, had to be transported to Boulder Community Hospital with minor injuries and his car had to be towed from the scene following the impact.
Kale Broeder, 22, drove the second car that put the final nail in the coffin. The Times Call phoned Broeder’s father later that night to ask about the condition of the driver and the car. The father, Gary Broeder, said the driver was unharmed, but that the car was totaled.
He said that Kale was on his way to work in Louisville from his girlfriend’s apartment in Longmont. He was driving in a group of cars in the right lane of U.S. 36 when the car in front of him put his hazard lights on and swerved to the right. In a moment of confusion, Kale moved to the left lane to avoid the car on the right and that’s when he hit the bear who was in the middle of the road.
Officials were able to identify the bear as the same one who was tranquilized and fell out of a tree on the University of Colorado Boulder’s campus just last week because he had been ear-tagged after the ordeal.
Spokeswoman for Colorado Parks and Wildlife Jennifer Churchill told the Times Call that it is sad to not be able to give these bears a good place to live.” The community sees relocating bears as a kind of perfect solution, and unfortunately it’s a really difficult proposition,” she said.
