A sunny day in Grand County provided perfect conditions for a scenic drive through the countryside. Local musician Andy Straus felt relaxed as he and a friend made their way through the winding forest roads.
“If we’re lucky, we’ll see a moose today,” Straus recalled telling his friend.
They ran into a couple from Colorado Springs who had never seen a moose before, and decided to make a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park to try their chances.
The group was in luck. They saw moose after moose grazing on the side of the road. Soon, the evening turned dark. Straus decided it was time to head back.
“We were probably going under the speed limit,” the singer-guitarist for Hunker Down told Sky-Hi News.
Suddenly, as Straus drove down U.S. Highway 34 south of Grand Lake, a moose charged up from a ditch near the road, catching him completely off guard. The collision occurred nearby Timberline Inn where the road passes along Shadow Mountain Lake.
“I'm a fisherman; I'm always scanning the scene for wildlife, but this came out of nowhere,” he said. “It was a completely unavoidable incident.”
The moose swiftly struck the hood of Straus's car, rolling up toward the windshield before hitting the ground and breaking both of its legs. Straus immediately pulled over and dialed 911. When the police arrived, they had to shoot the moose at least four times.
“It was really sad,” Straus said. “That’s something that will haunt me forever; it was awful.”
His newly purchased car was totaled from the impact, which completely destroyed the front of the vehicle.
“I don’t think I could have done anything different, or that I would have done anything different, in retrospect,” he said. “But I’ve learned to pay extra special attention, especially at dusk.”
Rocky Mountain National Park officials urge visitors to stay at least 75 feet, or about two bus lengths, away from all wildlife, according to their website.
They advise staying at least 120 feet, or about three bus lengths, away from black bears, moose and mountain lions. Stay safe and never assume you are the one that can get away with a close encounter.
If any kind of wildlife approaches you, park officials encourage visitors to back away and maintain a safe distance.
This story was made available via the Colorado News Collaborative. Learn more at https://colabnews.co
