BILLINGS, Mt. — Just one day before a Yellowstone seasonal worker's truck was totaled in a bison collision, another park employee had his own close encounter with the iconic animal, and his dash camera captured every second of it.
Watch the viral dash cam video here:
Kyle Weber, a seasonal mechanic working in Yellowstone National Park, was driving back to Fishing Bridge late one October night when he spotted a bison standing in the roadway near a bend.
"I was coming around the bend, and I saw something on the road," Weber said. "I was standing on my brakes and it was a bison."
Knowing how unpredictable wildlife can be, Weber decided to stop and wait for the animal to move rather than risk escalating the situation.
"I was gonna back up and probably back off him," he said. "But if I back up, that might make it more agitated."
Instead, the bison made the next move.
"After a few seconds, he kind of looks at me and I saw him charge me," Weber recalled. "He pushed me back easily a foot, foot and a half on my truck."
The impact dented the fender of Weber's 2002 Ford Ranger and broke a side marker light, but compared to what could have happened, he considers himself lucky. In fact, Weber says he plans to keep the dent.
"It kind of looks cool," he said. "It makes for a cool story."
The encounter happened just 24 hours before another Yellowstone seasonal worker, Jason Jaskula, and his wife Marie totaled their truck after striking a bison in a "buff jam" inside the park. Weber knew Jaskula and had actually worked on the truck involved in that crash.
"He was teasing me that morning about my situation," Weber said with a laugh. "Then he sent me a text that night that he totaled his truck."
Despite the setback, the Jaskulas have landed on their feet. In a message to MTN News, Marie Jaskula said the couple arrived in Utah on Tuesday and were preparing to begin new jobs. She said Chuck and Gail Richardson of Seattle traveled to Wyoming and towed them and their belongings to Utah after the crash.
"And Kyle is a friend of ours, so there was definitely some ribbing between he and Jason," Marie wrote. "All in good humor. All you can do is make light of it or you would sure feel sorry for yourself."
Meanwhile, Weber's dash camera footage took on a life of its own.
After he shared the video, his manager posted it on Facebook. Within days it was picked up by Cowboy State Daily, distributed nationally and eventually aired by ABC News.
"I've never really had anything like that go viral," Weber said. "It's kind of crazy to see your video clip just out there."
While millions may have watched the collision, Weber says one of the coolest parts has been hearing from friends and family who spotted him on national news.
The National Park Service says bison have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal. Park officials advise visitors who encounter a bison blocking the road to remain in their vehicle, avoid honking and wait for the animal to move on its own.
As for Weber, the experience hasn't dampened his enthusiasm for returning to Yellowstone.
"I loved it," he said of his first season working in the park. "I'm definitely excited to go back for another year. I'm looking forward to it."
Despite a dented truck, an unexpected brush with a bison and sudden internet fame, Weber says the experience has only added another memorable chapter to a summer he'll never forget.
