In the Nizhneilimsky district, a bear unexpectedly left the roadway, triggering a fatal collision, according to the Telegram channel of the Irkutsk region’s press service for the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The incident happened on August 4, 2022, on the federal highway A-331 Vilyui at about 22:30 local time. Preliminary information indicates that a Toyota Land Cruiser struck a bear that appeared suddenly on the road. The impact hurled the vehicle into the oncoming lane, where it collided with a KamAZ truck.
As a consequence of the crash, the 42-year-old driver of the Toyota died at the scene from his injuries. The 56-year-old man driving the KamAZ was hospitalized. The bear also succumbed to its injuries, and its body was removed by forest protection personnel.
Law enforcement officers are reviewing all the circumstances and causes of the incident.
Earlier, a head-on collision near Voronezh left two people dead.
[Source: Press service of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Irkutsk region]