A black bear cub was euthanized Sunday after it was struck by a vehicle on Bridge Road.

A Nissan Altima was traveling south in the 3500 block of Bridge Road, near Walden Road, shortly before 1 p.m. when the cub ran out in front of the car, according to city spokeswoman Diana Klink.

A biologist from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries responded to the scene, said Lee Walker, outreach director for the department.

“We determined the bear needed to be euthanized due to the severity of the injuries,” Walker said, adding that the bear’s back was broken.

Walker cautioned drivers to be alert during the spring, when young bears with no experience around vehicles may be wandering.

“We’ve got a lot of black bears down in this Dismal Swamp area, and this is the time they’re with cubs,” he said. “Like in the fall with deer, this is the time we ask people to be cautious when they’re driving.”

Klink said the last police unit left the scene at 2:30 p.m.