MADAWASKA – Some Madawaska residents are wondering if somewhere in town there is a moose with a screw loose, a moose with a death wish, or just an errant moose with a penchant for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Between 5 p.m. Sunday and 2:25 a.m. Tuesday, three people have run into, or nearly into, a moose at about the same location on or near Gagnon Road. Two of the drivers said the moose seemed to be injured.

According to police reports, there is at least one injured moose in the woods along Gagnon Road, or maybe two. One police officer has suggested that it could be the same moose in all three instances.

Robert Campagna, 45, of Madawaska was the first driver to come across the animal. At about 5 p.m. Sunday, Campagna and his two passengers were headed northbound in his car when the moose came out of the woods and he struck it with his 2001 sedan. The moose ambled on its way of its own accord, while Campagna’s car had more than $7,000 in damage. No one in the car was injured. The moose encounter took place about two miles south of U.S. Route 1.

“I’d rather shoot them than hit them in a car,” Campagna said Tuesday afternoon. “This happened so fast.

“It was dark, we were going slow, and he came out of the field,” the Madawaska man said. “I just had time to hit the brakes, and I hit him. He hit into the windshield, throwing glass at us, and fell into the road.”

The moose groaned, got up and left, dragging one leg. Campagna estimated the moose weighed about 600 pounds.

On Monday afternoon, Montfort Chasse, 50, of Madawaska was on a snowmobile ride when he avoided a moose on the snowmobile trail just off Gagnon Road. That site also was about two miles from Route 1.

Chasse reported that the moose appeared to be injured, Madawaska Police Chief Ronald Pelletier said. Game wardens were contacted by police after the sighting.

Chasse told police he was able to turn away from the moose, which was wandering on the trail.

At 2:25 a.m. Tuesday, Roger St. Pierre of Madawaska had a minor collision with a moose while driving his car near the same site on Gagnon Road.

St. Pierre told police the collision was minor, and he would not report it to his insurance company.

“He just wanted to let police know about the situation,” Pelletier said Tuesday. “The moose ran off.”

Kurt Wickenheiser, who lives on Gagnon Road, said there are several moose in back of his place, including at least three females and one bull.

“It’s one big swamp out there, and someone is logging in there,” he said Tuesday afternoon. “The one that got hit Sunday night made it back to the woods.

“I tracked it,” he said. “It’s dragging one leg, but there was no blood around.”

Wickenheiser had not heard of the other two encounters.

Attempts to reach the moose Tuesday were unsuccessful.