‘I was so scared:’ driver describes crashing into roaming bear on GA 400

A woman says she is still badly shaken after her SUV accidentally hit a large black bear that darted into her path on northbound Georgia 400 in Sandy Springs early Tuesday morning.

“It was a major collision. My seatbelt got tight, the car went to the shoulders. It happened so fast. I couldn’t avoid it.” said Helena Rocha.

Rocha showed Channel 2′s Tom Regan her wrecked SUV on Wednesday.

Much of the front end is damaged and bear fur still hangs from a broken bumper. She said she was driving home from her overnight work shift at UPS when the bear rushed into the roadway.

“Again, it went so fast, why is the bear doing this? I never expected a bear on the road, on the highways,” said Rocha.

Body camera video from a Sandy Springs Police shows him arriving at the scene. The dead bear can be seen behind the driver’s vehicle.

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“Officers got to the scene, got the bear of to the side of the roadway and contact the DNR. " said Sandy Springs Police Sgt. Leon Millholland.

Deer vehicle crashes are common in Georgia. The DNR estimates that 40 to 50 thousand occur each year. But accidents involving bears are rare. The one involved in the Georgia 400 crash was estimated to weigh over 150 lbs.

“You got that weight and mass coming through a windshield, it can cause a fatality. Bears are very territorial. They stay in their area, and they don’t get out as much as the deer roam and get out into the roadway.” said Millholland.

Police and the DNR say as summer approaches wild animals will become more active looking for food.

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“And drivers need to be aware when they are traveling at night, to maintain the appropriate speed and also be alert because these animals could dart out at any moment,” said Millholland.

The driver says she is happy that she escaped injured but sorry the bear died in the crash.

“I’m so sorry about the bear,” said Rocha.

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