Bear Drags Crash Victim From Wreckage After Car Crashes Into Woods

An injured bear crosses the road after Cal Fire firefighters attempted to herd it away from the active fire and into the woods in Jerseydale, California, United States on July 25, 2022.Photo: Neal Waters/Anadolu Agency (Getty Images)

A man in Massachusetts died after he lost control of his car and crashed into a stand of trees in western Massachusetts over the weekend. To add insult to his fatal injuries, a bear came along and attempted to drag his body away, police report.

My First Car: Holly Robinson Peete’s Eclectic, Electric Blue Honda Civic

Daniel Ducharme, of South Hadley, Massachusetts, likely died of his injuries when his 2016 Honda Civic left Route 91 and crashed into a thicket of trees. Investigators believe Ducharme was either fully or partially ejected from his vehicle in the crash. We don’t know exactly how his body ended up outside of his crashed Civic, because it seems like a goddamn bear came along and tried to drag him home as a snack.

It’s unclear what caused the crash, according to CBS Boston, and earlier reports of the bear’s involvement were initially taken down before being confirmed by Massachusetts State Police:

“When first responders reached the scene, the deceased male occupant of the vehicle was outside the car and a bear was observed in the woods in the vicinity of the scene,” State Police said in a statement. “Evidence suggests the bear at some point had made contact with the victim’s body.”

The bear took off from the area while troopers were at the scene.

The cause of the crash is still being investigated. Ducharme was the only person in the car. Police say he somehow lost control of the car, hit the guardrail multiple times, and went off the right side of the road. He went down an embankment before hitting several trees, police said.

Bears are more of a risk to parked cars, rather than crashed ones. Clever black bears have learned that cars often contain food, which leads to them breaking into vehicles and sometimes getting locked inside. Scientists believe this is due to bear’s lack of thumbs, and thus an inability to use a key fob.

Ladies, I know there’s a question out there right now on the internets: Would you rather come across a bear or a strange man while alone in the woods? A lot of women picked our ursine friends (and who could blame them) but a bear you definitely don’t want to come across is one that has gained a taste for humans and an understanding that cars contain tasty things. Luckily, this bear was only a black bear, which are easily scared off with loud noises and assertive posturing. If only men were so easily dissuaded.