Mind the moose, police warn New England drivers

[May 29, 2010]  PORTLAND, Maine (AP) -- Police are stepping up enforcement over the holiday weekend in northern New England. But that's not the only reason motorists should slow down.

Spring's arrival is sending moose scampering onto roadways, causing a spate of crashes including one that recently killed a man on Interstate 295 in Maine.

Moose can be attracted to the winter's coating of salt that accumulates alongside highways. The manmade salt lick brings the lumbering creatures close to fast-moving cars and trucks.

Maine statistics show 88 percent of collisions happen between dusk and dawn.

But not all. Two weeks ago Maine Trooper Timothy Saucier's cruiser was heavily damaged when a yearling moose hopped in front of his unmarked cruiser. The crash was captured on his video camera.

[Associated Press; By DAVID SHARP]

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