PORTLAND (AP) – State police on Monday renewed warnings to motorists to drive safely after two vehicles collided with moose in southern Maine.

People need to drive slowly at night, use their high beams as much as possible, and keep a watchful eye toward the roadside, said Col. Craig Poulin, Maine State Police Chief.

“I think that for a lot of people it doesn’t cross their minds that there are a significant number of moose in southern Maine,” Poulin said. “You have to pay attention to it and be conscious of it the whole time you’re driving.”

The most serious crash happened Sunday on Interstate 295 in Freeport when a tractor trailer struck a moose near Brunswick. The impact pushed the animal into the passing lane where another car hit the carcass and overturned. Another crash happened on the Maine Turnpike near Litchfield.

May and June are the most dangerous months for collisions with moose, and troopers urge drivers to be especially careful from dusk to dawn, when most accidents happen. Moose are nocturnal and more difficult to see than deer because headlights only illuminate their legs, and their eyes do not reflect light effectively.

Five crashes involving moose in one night earlier this month prompted police to issue similar warnings. Only one motorist has been killed in a collision with a moose this year. That accident happened near Parsonsfield in April.

AP-ES-06-21-04 1344EDT