A MOTORIST struck and killed a mountain lion on a Northern California freeway during Friday’s morning rush hour in what authorities described as an unusual traffic accident involving the reclusive cat.

    The driver struck the mountain lion on a stretch of freeway in the San Francisco suburb of San Bruno and sped away, apparently unaware of what happened, said California Highway Patrol Officer Daniel Hill.

    “It was exceedingly rare to see an animal of this size and an uncommon location to see it,” Hill said of the busy and developed area where the cat had wandered.

    The solitary and elusive mountain lion lives in mountainous or heavily vegetated areas and generally tries to avoid humans, according to state wildlife experts.

    A patrol unit that responded to the scene determined the animal was dead before dragging it to the side of the roadway for retrieval by wildlife managers, Hill said.

    “We alerted the public on this because it was an unusual location,” Hill said. He added that in the dark or low light, it is possible for motorists to fail to see something in the roadway, even with headlights on.

    (SD-Agencies)