Awakened from his slumber, with the front of his family's SUV smashed in and a baseball game to get to, 9-year-old Jerrett Imler cared only about one thing:

Was the bear OK?

A black bear had charged out from the woods in front of the Kia Sorento as Jerrett's father, Chad Imler, was driving through King, Bedford County, Monday evening. No one in the car was injured, and the bear appeared to escape with a broken leg.

State police called a wildlife control officer, who shot the bear with a tranquilizer gun, trapped it and took it in for observation.

Love, or perhaps something a bit more carnal, is in the air for Pennsylvania's black bear population, as mating season has them prowling about, often crossing paths with humans.

Last week, less than 10 miles away from the bear versus Kia wreck, police shot and killed a bear in front of a large crowd in Claysburg, Blair County, angering townspeople who said it didn't pose a threat and should have been let go. Locals also said numerous bears have been sighted in that area recently.

Jerry Feaser, spokesman for the state game commission, said there are about 250 to 300 bears killed on Pennsylvania roadways each year, but no accurate count on ones that survive a crash. When they do, if the bear does not immediately flee, the protocol is to trap and monitor it, as is being done with the one injured Monday.

The department doesn't have the money to seek veterinary care, but officers were observing the bear last night to check on its injuries. If the leg isn't too serious and there's no internal bleeding, they will release the bear onto nearby state game land. Otherwise, they will euthanize it.

The prognosis looked good, though, for the bear and for Jerrett's spirits. His grandparents were following their car, so he was able to catch a ride to the game, which his Roaring Spring Little League all-star team won. But before he left, he had to be assured that the bear would survive.

"He loves animals," said Jerrett's mother, Kimberly Imler, who also was in the car. "If they would have had to actually put it down, I couldn't have told him because it would have broken his heart."

Mrs. Imler was relieved as well, though less sentimental.

"I love bears," she said. "But I don't want to see one that close again."