SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. (WVLT) – A mother bear and two of her four cubs were hit and killed by a car Thursday, according to Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency spokesperson Matt Cameron. The crash happened on Happy Hollow Road.

Cameron said the bear was crossing the road with her four cubs when a car hit them.

He also added that the surviving two cubs were old enough and uninjured, so the department decided to not take them to a rescue facility, saying there should be enough food in the area for them to survive on their own.

Sevier County Sheriff Michael Hodges said his department responded in the early hours of Thursday morning when they found the two cubs still in the area.

“They were whimpering and you could kind of hear them calling out,” said Hodges.

Hodges said that hitting and even killing a bear with your car isn’t a crime, adding that accidents happen.

Moving forward, he’s asking that if you do hit a bear call 9-1-1 to let law enforcement know. However, keeping safety in mind he suggests staying in your car and pulling a little down the road away from the accident to be safe.

Other advice Hodges had to avoid these accidents is simply to slow down, especially on winding roads you aren’t familiar with.

“Our mountain heritage is a big deal and our bears encompass a great deal of that mountain heritage and we want to be able to see them in the future,” said Hodges.

Hodges said they get calls about bears every day, but only get reports of cars hitting a bear on the road about 12 times a year.

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