State police believe a bear dragged the dead body of a car crash victim into the woods following a fatal crash in western Massachusetts on Sunday.
Daniel Ducharme, 31, lost control of his 2016 Honda Civic along Route 91 South in Hatfield. Another driver alerted authorities around 11 a.m. when they spotted Ducharme’s car in the trees. Police released a statement saying the “evidence suggests” Ducharme was either fully or partially ejected from his vehicle and then dragged into the woods by a bear, according to CBS News.
A bear is believed to have dragged the body of a western Massachusetts crash victim out of his car, state police say. https://t.co/UI5PDqWEbR
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 6, 2024
“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 obtained by CBS News. “Evidence suggests the bear at some point had made contact with the victim’s body.”
The bear allegedly fled the scene upon the Trooper’s arrival. (RELATED: Children Horrified As Zoo’s Brown Bear Eats Entire Brood Of Ducklings ‘Like Chicken Nuggets’)
Ducharme’s crash is still being investigated by state police. Police say he someone lost control of his vehicle, hit the side guardrail a few times before veering off the right side of the road, down an embankment, and into the trees.
There are over 4,500 bears in the state of Massachusetts. Black bears, which are common in the state, feed on lush vegetation, insects, dead animals, and young deer, according to Mass.gov.