A bear was struck and fatally injured Thursday on Highway 154, the second one to be killed by a vehicle in the area in the past week, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Just before 12:45 p.m., Caltrans crews were removing the body of the bear from the roadway near the Rancho San Marcos Golf Course, said Officer Cliff Powers of the CHP Buellton Office.

The animal appeared to have been killed by a moving vehicle earlier Thursday, but the driver did not stop or report the incident, Powers said.

Another bear was hit in the same area last weekend by a passing motorist, who stopped her vehicle and called authorities.

— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at lcooper@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.