Massachusetts State Police said that a man was pulled out of his car by a vehicle after a deadly crash over the weekend.
Investigators had conflicting reports of the incident before they ultimately determined that 31-year-old Daniel Ducharme was killed in the crash before the bear approached him.
The victim was reportedly traveling southbound on I-91 in Hatfield when he lost control for unspecified reasons at around 11 a.m.
His car struck a guardrail multiple times before veering off road into an embankment in a wooded area where it stopped after hitting several trees.
That’s when detectives believe the bear dragged the either fully or partially ejected victim from the wreck.
“Evidence suggests the bear at some point had made contact with the victim’s body,” MSP Spokesperson David Procopio said.
He added that although whether Ducharme was killed in the crash or by the bear remains unconfirmed, investigators believe he “most likely” perished in the crash.
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environment Affairs said in a statement that a bear has been euthanized in Hatfield and that there was no threat to public safety in the area.
