A man and a woman were killed in a freak accident in Quebec, not far from Ottawa, on Monday night when another car struck a bear, causing the animal to crash into the victims’ vehicle.

Police said an initial vehicle struck the black bear near Luskville, Que., sending the animal flying through the air.

It slammed into the front windshield of a second vehicle, a Nissan Pathfinder, which had been travelling in the opposite direction.

The 300-pound bear crashed through the windshield, striking a 25-year-old Ottawa woman and a 40-year-old man from Gatineau, Que., then smashed through and out the back windshield.

The man and woman were killed on impact. Another passenger suffered minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital.

Police Const. Martin Fournel said the speed limit in the area is 90 kilometres an hour. It’s not known how fast the vehicle was travelling.

Aside from the freakish nature of the accident, Fournel said car-bear collisions are not common.

“The Gatineau Park is nearby,” he said, “(But) it’s really rare that we have accidents with bears . . . accidents with deer, we have lots.”

Two people in the first vehicle were unharmed.

The names of the victims were not released.

Roads that are forged through the wilderness can occasionally pose a hazard to drivers. Animals can emerge from tree-lined scenery without warning, and if the animal is large enough it can cause serious damage to a vehicle, and possibly to the occupants inside. Two unfortunate Canadian motorists became a tragic example of what can happen when animals and automobiles collide.

A 300-pound black bear (the smallest species in North America, for what it's worth) wandered into traffic on a road located 25 miles northwest of Ottawa. A passing Pontiac Sunfire collided with the bear, sending it directly into the windshield of an oncoming Nissan Pathfinder. Two of the Pathfinder's three occupants were killed instantly when the large bear went through the glass of the SUV. The driver and passenger of the Sunfire were unhurt.

There are questions as to whether a bait station used to lure bears to the area that was set up by hunters may have contributed to the accident. The bait station is reportedly less than 100 feet from the road. That seems awfully close to us, but apparently it's placement is within legal limits.

This is certainly a freak accident, but it can also serve as a reminder to remain alert when traveling down a road that passes through areas inhabited by animals. Click past the jump to watch a news clip discussing the accident.