Bear killed crossing Everett Turnpike

An adult black bear was killed while crossing the F.E. Everett Turnpike in Merrimack on Thursday night.

The bear, which weighed an estimated 175 to 200 pounds, was clipped by a motorist in the area of Exit 12 at about 8:15 p.m., said State Trooper Kieran Fagan.

The driver, whose name was not available because police did not file a report, then called police. The driver was unhurt, and there was minimal damage to the vehicle.

Police found the bear on the median, and state Fish and Game officials were called.

Merrimack police had received several calls of a black bear roaming the parking lots of Tortilla Flats and the Reeds Ferry Shaw’s Supermarket earlier in the night, Fagan said.