Photo: Dave Acheson Photography / iStock / Getty Images
A late-night drive through Yellowstone National Park turned frightening when a bull bison charged and rammed a pickup truck after the driver stopped to avoid hitting the animal. Seasonal mechanic Kyle Weber encountered the bison near Mud Volcano at about 2:45 a.m. on Thursday (October 8). Weber, on his way home from work, braked and stopped his Ford Ranger when he saw the bison in the road.
Weber told the Cowboy State Daily, "I slammed on my brakes and stopped and was just sitting there watching and waiting for him to continue walking." Initially, the bison appeared calm, but then suddenly charged the pickup, smashing its head into the left side of the truck. The impact dented the bumper and hood, broke the side marker light, and pushed the truck back by about a foot and a half.
Video of the incident, shared with Cowboy State Daily by Weber’s co-worker, Stephen Borgmier, shows the bison standing on the road illuminated by the truck’s headlights before abruptly charging.
“I definitely got jolted in that thing,” he said. “I knew they hit hard, but that was pretty rough. It pushed my truck back at least a foot and a half.”
After the bison struck the truck, Weber continued driving and encountered the same animal farther up the road. He followed the bison at a safe distance until it left the roadway.
No injuries were reported, but the event serves as a reminder for drivers in Yellowstone to use caution, especially at night. Authorities have not announced any changes to park traffic guidelines following the incident.