N.L. moose crash kills passenger

One person was killed and another seriously injured when their vehicle struck and killed a moose on a highway on Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula on Thursday night.

A woman passenger, 18, in a small Honda died on the way to a hospital, RCMP said Friday morning.

A witness at the scene said he tried to help the woman and the male driver when he arrived on the scene. He said the woman's pulse was initially strong, but weakened quickly. 

Paramedics also took the 23-year-old driver to a hospital in St. John's.

The collision occurred on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of the Salmonier turnoff.

After hitting the moose, the car crossed the highway median and went deep into a wooded area.

Moose-vehicle collisions are a regular problem along the Trans-Canada Highway, as well as many regional highways. The Newfoundland and Labrador government estimates there are 450 collisions per year, many of them not resulting in people's deaths.

The peak period for moose collisions is between May and October.

In March, the government unveiled a new strategy to curb the moose population on the island, where the animals were introduced in the early 20th century. The strategy includes widening and extending the moose hunting season.