Stephen Borgmier, Weber\u2019s co-worker, expects to encounter bison on the road, especially at night. It\u2019s more inevitable than occasional in Yellowstone.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy wife and I were driving out of Fishing Bridge about three weeks ago in the dark,\u201d he said. \u201cA bison came up on the road and stopped, then two or three more came right up in front of us.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the bison, a bull, stopped moving as soon as it came within the vehicle\u2019s headlights. Borgmier said that as soon as his wife dimmed the lights, the bull started moving again.<\/p>\n
He said he believes that might explain what happened to his friend on Thursday morning, at least partially.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe seemed blinded by the headlights,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t know, but maybe the headlights are what aggravated the bison into charging.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bison are dangerous at night because their dark hides make them difficult to see, especially around curves. <\/p>\n
Also, bison eyes don\u2019t reflect in headlights the same way deer and elk do because they lack a reflective layer in the back of their eyes.<\/p>\n
A bison was fatally struck by a vehicle in Yellowstone on Thursday night, less than 24 hours after what happened to Weber.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Bison-v-truck-in-yellowstone-1-10.9.26.jpg\")
A seasonal mechanic driving through Yellowstone National Park in darkness Thursday morning stopped so he wouldn’t hit a bull bison standing in the road at Mud Volcano. The bison hit his truck anyway, leaving a big dent on the hood before running off. (Stephen Borgmier)Slower Traffic Use Pullout<\/p>\n
After the bison hit-and-run, Weber kept driving and found the same bison that bashed him farther ahead.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately, he went the same direction I was going,\u201d he said. \u201cI wanted to make sure I followed directly behind him as far back as I could, where I could still see him with my headlights.\u201d<\/p>\n
Weber\u2019s relief came in the form of a pullout. When the bison wandered off the road and onto the pullout, Weber overtook him while giving him a wide berth.<\/p>\n
\u201cI sped past him to make sure he wouldn’t come back out again in front of or to the side of me,\u201d he said. \u201cSo that was fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
Weber considered what he might have done differently to avoid getting his bison bashing his truck. In hindsight, he couldn\u2019t think of anything that would’ve worked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey usually continue on their way,\u201d he said. \u201cI could have backed up, maybe backed off him a bit, but I didn’t know if moving would agitate him. He looked agitated when I pulled up, so I thought sitting still was my best option. And it might have been. Who knows?<\/p>\n
Borgmier just finished his ninth season with Yellowstone Park Service Stations, managing the Fishing Bridge station.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe work on tourist cars and RVs that have problems while they\u2019re in the park,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m retired, but most of our mechanics are in school. They come here to work during their summer break and go back to school during the winter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Because most of Borgmier\u2019s mechanics are college kids, they\u2019re just trying to scrape by with what they make during the summer. Deliberate bison damage could strain anyone\u2019s budget, but even a mechanic might struggle to cover the costs.<\/p>\n
To Borgmier’s surprise, the damage to Weber\u2019s Ranger was mostly superficial. It\u2019ll probably buff right out, but even with the video, Borgmier doesn\u2019t think Weber will be filing an insurance claim.<\/p>\n
The damage to the Chevy S-10 was mostly superficial. It\u2019ll probably buff right out, but even with the video, Borgmier doesn\u2019t think the driver will be filing a claim.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s just out of school, so I doubt he has anything but liability,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Instead, both men hope the video will remind people who owns Yellowstone\u2019s roads.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re hoping it would help somebody else avoid the same situation in the future,\u201d Borgmier said. \u201cBison do own the roads in Yellowstone, and he found out the hard way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cool Little Keepsake<\/p>\n
Weber, who graduated from a technical school in the spring, doesn\u2019t plan to go through insurance. He intends to fix the damage himself.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’m definitely going to be replacing the bumper and side marker at some point,\u201d he said. \u201cI already had some upgrades in mind, so I guess now is a good time for me to put those in.\u201d<\/p>\n
The easiest thing to repair, the dented hood, is the one thing Weber thinks he\u2019ll keep as is. Not everyone can say they have bison damage decorating their vehicle.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I\u2019ll keep it,\u201d he said. \u201cIt has a cool story behind it, and after a fantastic summer, where I met so many people and saw so many amazing things, it\u2019s a cool little keepsake.\u201d<\/p>\n
Contact Andrew Rossi at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Bison-v-truck-in-yellowstone-3-10.9.26.jpg\")
A seasonal mechanic driving through Yellowstone National Park in darkness Thursday morning stopped so he wouldn’t hit a bull bison standing in the road at Mud Volcano. The bison hit his truck anyway, leaving a big dent on the hood before running off. (Stephen Borgmier)<\/p>\n