Bear drags man’s body from car after fatal accident, police say

A bear apparently tried to drag the body of a man killed in a car accident into a wooded area off a Massachusetts highway on Sunday, according to police.

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Daniel Ducharme, 31, of South Hadley, Massachusetts, was found dead by troopers outside his vehicle around 11 a.m. on Sunday near the woods off Route 91 southbound near the 30.8 mile marker, WFXT reported.

Ducharme’s heavily damaged 2016 Honda Civic was located a short distance away, according to the news station. Police speculated that Ducharme was killed when he lost control of the car and struck a guardrail and several trees.

Police say they believe that a bear that was seen near the accident site tried to drag Ducharme’s body from the wreckage. Police believe the man was either partially or completely ejected from the car during the accident, WFXT reported.

“Evidence suggests the bear at some point had made contact with the victim’s body,” State police wrote in a press release.

When first responders came on the scene the bear fled the area, police said.

The area where the crash happened, Hatfield, Massachusettes, is about five miles northeast of Northampton.

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