Officials: Pregnant moose killed in car accident that injured 3

GOSHEN — A car collided with a pregnant moose in Goshen Saturday night on Hall Meadow Road, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said.

John Barbagallo, Norfolk public information officer, said the collision sent three of the five people in the car to the Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington. At the same time, the crash killed the moose and the unborn calf.

Troopers said the vehicle, a 2011 Subaru Legacy, was traveling north on Route 272, also known as Hall Meadow Road, in Goshen when a Moose appeared in the roadway, causing the crash. The driver was not found at fault for the accident.

DEEP officials said the fire department, EMS and DEEP Troop B all responded to the scene. The moose was turned over to the DEEP Wildlife Division for study. Connecticut State Police Troop B is investigating the motor vehicle accident.

Human contact with mooses in Connecticut is relatively low, according to the DEEP statistics.

According to DEEP records, there have been six reported moose sightings in Connecticut this year. The sightings were reported in Norfolk, Hartford, Barkhamsted and West Hartford.

DEEP said in a fact sheet that it’s unclear if moose are indigenious to Connecticut, but the population has grown since early reports through the 1980s and 1990s. DEEP estimates the population is more than 100 animals.

“Moose can present a serious threat to public safety under some circumstances. Although usually shy, moose can feel threatened and become aggressive during the rutting season or after calving. They also may demonstrate unpredictable behavior if they wander into populated areas,” DEEP said in the fact sheet.

The greatest danger appears to be from car accidents involving moose. DEEP said that based on information from other states, a vehicle colliding with a moose is 30 times more likely to kill someone in the vehicle.

“The DEEP’s primary concern regarding moose is public safety. Each moose observed in the state is monitored,” the department said in the fact sheet.