June 24, 2007

A potentially serious situation occurred Sunday afternoon along Interstate 64 when a man on a motorcycle collided with a bear, killing the bear. The accident happened around mile marker 110 between Crozet and Ivy in Albemarle County.

When crews arrived on the scene they found a man laying on the ground. He was taken to the UVA Medical Center in good condition.

"We have a number of vehicle versus animal accidents, but rarely is it a bear, more likely it's a deer of some sort," said Michael Walton of the Western Albemarle Rescue Squad.

Crews on scene say the outcome of this could have been much worse, but witnesses say the motorcyclist was wearing a helmet.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says helmets are about 29 percent effective in preventing motorcycle deaths and about 67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries.

The accident caused some travel headaches for drivers while rescue crews cleaned up, but both lanes of Interstate 64 were back open a few hours after the accident.