State police haven't released the man's name.
A 52-year-old man died Thursday morning after a motorcycle accident with an elk on Highway 50 near the border between Fremont and Pueblo counties, just east of Penrose.
According to reports, the motorcycle crash happened around 5:20 a.m., and immediately led to a collision with another vehicle. The Colorado State Patrol says the accident is still under investigation.
Both westbound and eastbound lanes of Highway 50 were temporarily shut down as a result of the accident, and it apparently wasn't the only one.
In addition to the Penrose accident, there was also a temporary shutdown that blocked eastbound and westbound lanes just west of Purcell Boulevard around 6:50 a.m.
Despite its reputation for having an abundance of wildlife, Colorado doesn't actually rank high in terms of vehicle-animal collisions. According to State Farm's most recent vehicle-deer collision report (which includes larger Cervidae such as elk, moose and caribou), the Centennial State actually ranked 39th among all states and the District of Columbia.
However, even though other states might have more Cervidae in general, many of them don't have big-game animals like elk and moose, which obviously pose much more of a threat to motorists than a whitetail deer does.
So, no matter where you're driving, always keep your eyes peeled for wildlife! And, if you're driving in a more rural area that's susceptible to a more prominent deer presence, be sure to keep a safe distance from other drivers!
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