Motorcycle, Black Bear and Hwy 108

[scottsf]

This probably is a "be careful out there" post; I thought it best fit in the "road report" section. Apparently, Bambi has been recruiting widely. I hope the rider has a full recovery.

An AP item in this morning's SF Chronicle:

Woman on Motorcycle Collides With Bear

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

(10-12) 18:28 PDT Jamestown, Calif. (AP) --

A woman suffered a broken collarbone after she collided with a 250-pound bear.

California Highway Patrol officers said 38-year-old Diana Nichols, of Dunlap, was going about 50-to-65 mph on her motorcycle on Highway 108 near Jamestown when she struck the bear on Monday afternoon. Nichols tried to brake but the bear ran into her path, flipping the bike.

Nichols was airlifted to a hospital in Modesto, where she was treated and released.

Officers believe late-afternoon shadows may have obscured the black bear, which become increasingly active in fall.

The bear fled the scene after the collision.