Most drivers in the Valley know this is the time to be on the lookout for deer crossing the road, but a woman in New Castle had a close encounter with a bear late Monday.

The driver told authorities she struck a black bear along the 1700 block of East Washington Street at around 9 p.m.

The bear, which appeared to weigh around 200 pounds, climbed a nearby tree while neighbors recorded video with their mobile phones.

While police blocked traffic in the area, a game warden fired a tranquilizer dart into the bear’s leg.

After about 20 minutes, the drowsy bear climbed down and fell into a tarp that police and game officials were holding at the trunk of the tree.

The bear was loaded into a truck for transport to a wildlife area where it would be released.

The woman who hit the bear was not injured and her vehicle was only slightly damaged.

There have been a couple of other bear sightings in the New Castle area recently but it is not known if the bear that was hit is the same bear.