JACKSON, Wyo. — Grizzly bear 399 was killed in a vehicle collision in the Snake River Canyon on Tuesday night, Oct. 22, inciting an outpouring of emotional reactions across the internet.
Some social media users have expressed anger at the driver involved in this incident. Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Lieutenant John Stetzenbach, supervisor of the officers who responded to the collision, told Buckrail he was confident there was no foul play.
“The driver was 100% paying attention,” Stetzenbach told Buckrail on Friday morning. “They were driving along, being cautious, and all of a sudden, there it is,” he added.
Stetzenbach confirmed that the driver was not texting, was not intoxicated and was not speeding.
Responding officers conducted their standard wildlife-vehicle collision investigation. Based on the posted speed limit (55 mph through the canyon), the size of the car (a small passenger vehicle), the size of the animal, skid marks on the road and damage to the vehicle, officers determined that the driver was driving legally.
“It’s pretty safe to say the driver was driving within normal parameters of the speed limits,” Stetzenbach said. “They certainly did not have any excess speed. They were not careless. They were very aware there were animals.”
Stetzenbach confirmed that the driver of the car had remained at the scene of the crash and waited for law enforcement. The car was damaged enough that it had to be towed away.
The sheriff’s office is keeping mum on the identity of the driver to protect them from public anger. The driver was not cited in the collision after it was determined that the speed limit was being observed.
“In a vehicle versus animal call, if upon our investigation it’s determined that, yes, the driver most likely was driving at the posted speed limit, we generally will not ticket on something like that,” Stetzenbach said. “This truly was an accident.”
