Bear Drags MA Car Crash Victim From Vehicle: Police

HATFIELD, MA — A man found dead in the woods near his car following a crash is believed to have been dragged by a bear after the wreck, according to Massachusetts State Police.

A passing motorist on Route 91 South in Hatfield called 911 after spotting the man's heavily damaged 2016 Honda Civic crashed in the woods on the side of the road around 11:00 a.m. Sunday, police said.

Police said they arrived to find the body of Daniel Ducharme, 31, of South Hadley outside of the car with a bear nearby, adding that "evidence suggests the bear at some point had made contact with the victim's body."

Investigators believe that a few hours before his body was found, the man lost control of the car which then struck the guardrail multiple times, left the roadway, and traveled down an embankment before hitting several trees.

They added that it appears the man was killed in the crash and was either "fully ejected or partially ejected" and later "dragged from the car by the bear."

The bear left the area while responders were on scene, police said.

The investigation is ongoing and no additional information was immediately available, according to police.