HAWTHORNE, Fla. – A 42-year-old woman was seriously injured Sunday night when a 560-pound bear crossing Hawthorne Road in Alachua County caused a chain-reaction crash.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol crash report, 35-year-old Alberta L. Beckham was driving eastbound on Hawthorne Road west of County Road 325 when a bear crossed the road in front of her. Beckham told troopers she couldn't avoid hitting the bear, and the impact sent her vehicle into the outside lane, where it hit a car driven by 45-year-old Michael F. Scott.
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Neither driver was injured, but Michael Scott's passenger, 42-year-old Tammy A. Scott, was seriously injured and taken to UF Health Gainesville. An update on Tammy Scott's condition was not available Monday.
Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission came to the scene to remove the bear.