Moose killed after being struck by car in North Haven: Police

NORTH HAVEN — A moose was killed on Route 15 after it was struck by a car Wednesday morning, police said.

Officials said the driver was able to leave the scene and did not suffer any injuries.

Officials with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said the moose that was killed is believed to be the same one seen last week in the Watertown and Waterbury areas that prompted a warning for motorists after it was spotted near two major highways.

“Last reports had it moving in a direction that could place it at this location,” DEEP said in a news release Wednesday morning.

Connecticut State Police were called to the northbound lanes of the highway near Exit 63 around 6:50 a.m., according to Trooper First Class Pedro A. Muñiz, a spokesperson for the agency.

“No injuries were reported. The moose is deceased,” Muñiz said.

It was not immediately clear what type of car was involved in Wednesday’s collision. A DEEP spokesperson said the car was not disabled in the crash and was able to be driven away from the scene.

State police said an accident information summary, which the agency typically releases following major crashes, would not be written for the incident because the vehicle involved was driven from the scene without any reported injuries.

State police said DEEP officials would examine the moose’s remains and make a determination of its approximate size and weight.

Workers were seen using a piece of construction equipment to drag the body of the moose from the scene Wednesday morning.

The incident comes after DEEP officials issued repeated warnings last week about moose that were spotted near major Connecticut roadways.

About 100 of the animals are thought to inhabit Connecticut, far less than the thousands of moose that populate northern New England states.

Moose strikes by cars are often deadly to motorists because the animals stand much taller than deer, meaning it’s more likely they’ll end up hitting a vehicle’s windshield, according to DEEP.

They can also be harder for drivers to spot since they are darker than deer and drivers can have a harder time spotting the light reflecting from their eyes due to their height, the agency said.

One study that examined data from New England states found motor vehicle collisions involving moose are more than 13 times more likely to be lethal to people compared with deer strikes.

Last Friday, DEEP officials said moose had been spotted within 5 miles of Interstate 84 and Route 8 in Waterbury, having moved into the area from nearby Watertown. Another wandering moose seen in the Enfield, Windsor and Bloomfield areas was also spotted in Windsor less than a mile from Interstate 91, the agency said.

“During this time of year, young moose may be dispersing long distances in search of new areas to occupy, making them more of a public safety concern,” DEEP said in its advisory last Friday.

Moose sightings near major roadways, and collisions between vehicles and moose, bears or deer can be reported to DEEP’s 24-hour dispatch center at 860-424-3333.