Juneau man cited after killing and dragging black bear

Motorists should slow down or stop when they see a bear on or near a road. This photo was taken in September 2008. (Creative Commons photo by Gillfoto)
This photo was taken in September 2008. (Creative Commons photo by Gillfoto)

A Juneau man who ran over a black bear called it in a day too late and now he’s headed to court. According to an Alaska State Troopers dispatch, Thomas Willis, 25, hit an adult black bear on the Glacier Highway back in April. The bear was impaled on his truck’s tow hook and was lodged under its front axle.

The report said Willis didn’t stop and dragged the bear back to his house about 2 miles away.

He finally saw the dead bear sticking out from the front of his truck as he was preparing to leave for work the next day. Willis then reported the bear to troopers and said he couldn’t dislodge it.

Alaska Wildlife Troopers said they helped Willis remove the bear but the distance the animal was dragged and the length of time it had been dead made the meat unsalvageable.

They cited Willis Thursday for not contacting them as soon as possible after a collision with a big game animal. He has been summoned to appear at district court in Juneau.

Correction: The original version of this story misstated Willis was cited last week. Willis was actually cited Thursday, June 16.

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