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Moose gets nailed by SUV, walks away from accident

Graphic collision captured on video
Posted at 1:25 PM, Jul 08, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-08 15:25:55-04

The video is graphic.

A moose was hit hard by an SUV and walks away from the accident.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife says Kayla Whitehead captured the graphic collision on Highway 9, north of Silverthorne, last week. CPW shared her Youtube video.

You see the moose walk into the road, get hit by the SUV, and the animal goes airborne.

Shortly, after the collision you can see the moose to the left of the screen walking off into a grassy-area. 

Wildlife officers were not able to find the moose, and believe it was able to survive the accident.

While the SUV had some front-end damage, and a broken windshield, the people inside were not hurt, according to officials.

While some collisions may be unavoidable, motorists can reduce the likelihood of an accident by taking the following precautions:

Slow Down - Driving more slowly increases reaction time and reduces the chance of a collision.

Stay Alert - While driving at dusk and dawn. This is when many of Colorado’s wildlife are the most active and are likely to be crossing roadways.

Scan Ahead - and watch for movement along roadsides. When driving at night, watch for shining eyes in headlights. Always look and be prepared for more than one animal.

Obey traffic signs and watch for wildlife warning signs.

As you know, wildlife-related accidents can happen anywhere in the state, but drivers should be especially cautious when traveling through forests and agricultural land. 

Officials also provided this list of "high-risk" areas to watch out for:

• Interstate 70 (Floyd Hill, Mt. Vernon Canyon and Eagle)

• US 285 (Morrison)

• Highway 160 (Durango to Pagosa Springs and Durango to Mancos)

• Highway 550 (north of Durango and from Montrose to Ouray)

• Interstate 25 (Castle Rock to Larkspur)

• Highway 82 (Glenwood Springs to Aspen)

• Highway 36 (Boulder to Lyons)

• Highway 93 (Golden to Boulder)

• Highway 9 (Silverthorne to Kremmling)