Don’t drive past your headlights.
That’s the word from the OPP after eight different drivers hit the same moose on Highway 11 on Saturday evening.
According to the OPP, the incident occurred under the cover of darkness in the southbound lanes just south of Gravenhurst and is being used as a warning to drivers in all areas of the province in which animal interactions are frequent, including North Bay and the surrounding area.
The first vehicle was damaged and had to pull to the side of the highway after striking the moose.
Police say, after that initial collision, seven more vehicles hit the animal in the road.
The moose was killed. No serious human injuries were reported from the scene, though several vehicles did sustain damage.
The OPP is advising drivers to be aware that wildlife could cross the highway at any time of the day or night, which can obviously pose a hazard.
Remember, the highway crosses the natural habitat of moose and other animals. Drivers should be cautious not to drive so fast that they cannot stop within the distance that their headlights illuminate.
Drivers should also slow down when they see another vehicle has pulled off the road to avoid collisions with wildlife left injured or killed in the roadway.
(With files from James Wood, MyMuskokaNow.com)
