13 bison were killed in a road accident near Yellowstone National Park: NPR

Bison wander outside Yellowstone National Park in Gardiner, Montana March 17, 2011. Thirteen bison were killed or had to be euthanized after their herd was hit by a semi-truck involved in an accident along with two other vehicles on a dark Montana highway just outside of Yellowstone National Park, authorities said Friday, Dec. 30, 2022.

Janie Osborne/AP

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Janie Osborne/AP

Bison wander outside Yellowstone National Park in Gardiner, Montana March 17, 2011. Thirteen bison were killed or had to be euthanized after their herd was hit by a semi-truck involved in an accident along with two other vehicles on a dark Montana highway just outside of Yellowstone National Park, authorities said Friday, Dec. 30, 2022.

Janie Osborne/AP

Thirteen bison were killed near Yellowstone National Park after being struck by a tractor-trailer truck, police said Saturday.

The crash happened last Wednesday at mile four on U.S. Highway 191 between West Yellowstone, Montana and Highway 287. The bison was initially thought to have been hit by both semi- and two-wheel drive vehicles. passengers, but police later said the passenger vehicles were involved in a secondary collision, the West Yellowstone Police Department said.

Some bison had to be euthanized due to their injuries.

“We regularly deal with wildlife struck and killed on the roads in our area due to the abundance of wildlife in our area and our proximity to Yellowstone National Park,” police said. “We are always saddened by any of these incidents, especially when so many animals are lost.”

The area’s bison often move to paved roads during the winter, as conditions make it easier for them to travel. Police have urged travelers to slow down depending on road and weather conditions.

“While speed was not necessarily a factor in this crash, road conditions at the time would dictate driving below the posted speed limit,” police said.

The Montana Highway Patrol is investigating the incident.