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By JOEL ELLIOTT
Staff Writer Saturday, June 30, 2007

Ronald Byrum, 61, of Waterville was traveling north in the left-hand lane when a moose lurched in front of him from the median at about 1:45 p.m., according to Maine State Police Trooper Sean Kinney.

"It was very quick and no time for any reaction at all," he said. "I think the driver was probably killed on impact."

Kinney said witnesses told him the motorcycle veered off across the right lane and settled beside the road. The moose first dropped where it had been hit, struggled to its feet and staggered back into the median.

Another trooper killed the animal with at least two shots, Kinney said. It probably had sustained serious internal injuries from the impact, he said.

It took about two hours for police to clear the scene, although there was always at least one lane clear.

Maine State Police earlier this week issued a warning about the dangers of moose on the highways in response to the other deaths.

On Tuesday, Kirk Sirois and Sandra Shaw, both 31, from the Madison-Norridgewock area, were killed when their Jeep struck a moose lying dead in the road, then ran into the rear end of a tractor-trailer that had first hit the moose.

"The challenge for motorists is, despite their size, moose are virtually invisible because of their coloring," Maine Department of Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland said after Tuesday's crash. "People have to be extra vigi-lant -- and this will continue into July."

About 700 crashes, resulting in 200 injuries, occur each year in moose-vehicle encounters, according to Duane Brunell, safety performance analysis manager with the Maine Department of Transportation.

Brunell said at least 80 percent of the crashes occur at night, and 90 percent of the fatalities happen at night as well.

McCausland said motorists should be especially cautious this time of year.

"The population has increased and during May and June they start getting out of the woods for a number of reasons," he said. "Bugs are starting to push them into open space and they are eating the remaining salt along the roadway.

"This is also the time the yearlings separate from their mothers, so they're everywhere."

Joel Elliott -- 861-9252

jelliott@centralmaine.com

Staff writer Darla Pickett contributed to this report.

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