The Tuesday morning drive in Pickens County turned grim when a black bear was hit by a vehicle and later put down by deputies at the intersection of Highway 108 and Fairview Road. Deputies arrived around 7:15 a.m. to find the bear badly injured and, seeing the animal was suffering, decided to end its life on the spot. The carcass was left in place so wildlife staff could come out and recover it.
According to Atlanta News First, the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office said deputies followed Georgia Department of Natural Resources guidance and used two rifle shots to euthanize the bear to prevent any further suffering. The sheriff’s office told the station that the decision at the scene was in line with what DNR advises for severely injured wildlife.
Georgia DNR figures show that vehicle collisions are a recurring cause of bear deaths in the state, and the agency’s harvest summaries list road-killed bears across multiple counties each year. The numbers highlight that cars are a steady threat to bears in North Georgia, especially along roads that cut through or edge up against bear habitat.
Crash-Prone Stretch Adds To Wildlife Risk
Fairview Road and nearby corridors have already been on local radar for repeated serious wrecks, a pattern that raises the stakes for both drivers and wildlife in that part of the county. Pickens Progress has reported that intersections near Fairview have a history of crashes and were flagged for a state-funded safety and engineering study.
This latest incident is another reminder that in rural and exurban areas, motorists are sharing the road with wild animals whether they realize it or not. Drivers are urged to stay alert, especially around dawn and dusk when animals are more active. If you come across injured wildlife, the guidance is straightforward: contact local law enforcement or the Georgia Department of Natural Resources so trained personnel can respond.
