JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — The driver who hit and killed a the famous grizzly bear south of Grand Teton National Park earlier this week was not speeding and the bear’s death was an accident, law enforcement officials said Friday.

Death of grizzly no. 399 Tuesday night in Snake River Canyon, south of Jackson, saddened tourists, wildlife biologists and amateur and professional photographers who for years have studied and captured images of the bear and her many cubs and tracked her comings and goings. departures on social networks. media sites.

“The bear immediately ran out into the road,” Lincoln County Sheriff’s Patrol Lt. John Stetzenbach told them. Jackson Hole News and Guide Friday. The driver “was unable to brake in time to avoid the bear and the collision occurred.”

He said the collision “was truly an accident” and that the driver was not speeding or distracted and was not cited. The Subaru that hit the bear had to be towed from the scene, Stetzenbach said.

He declined to identify the driver, noting that some online comments blamed the driver for the bear’s death.

At 28 years old, No. 399 was the oldest known breeding female in the Yellowstone ecosystem. Every spring, wildlife enthusiasts eagerly await her emergence from her den to see how many cubs she’s given birth to over the winter — then quickly share the news online. The bear has had 18 known cubs in eight litters over the years, including a litter of four in 2020. She stood about 7 feet (2.1 meters) tall and weighed about 400 pounds (180 kilograms).

Named after the identification tag attached to the ear by the researchers, the grizzly was often seen near Grand Teton roads, attracting crowds and creating traffic jams.

Grand Teton bear biologist Justin Schwabedissen said Thursday he thinks so one year old chickswhich apparently was not hit, will survive on its own.