Bears! (Stephen Colbert Was Right!)

Imagine this, you’re saving the planet on your usual bike route to work when …

A Panama City man was knocked off his bicycle July 7 on Highway 98 in Tyndall AFB when a black bear trying to cross the busy four-lane highway collided with him. John Hearn, who works on Tyndall and bikes the 12 miles to work several times a week, was left with bumps, bruises, road rash and a broken bike after the collision at 6:40 a.m. The bear, estimated to weigh 250-300 pounds, bolted into nearby woods after the collision. Hearn estimated he was going 23 miles per hour when the unexpected happened. He did not require medical attention. In the four years he’s been biking to work Hearn says he’s been hit by cars twice but this is his first encounter with a bear.

The world is just a crazy place somedays! (Above photo via FWC, Stan Kirkland.)