Niamh Shackleton
A bear is believed to have dragged a man's body from his car following a crash.
On Sunday, May 5, Daniel Ducharme lost control of his car and ended up in an embankment by Route 91 in Hatfield, Massachusetts.
The 31-year-old man is believed to have died in the ordeal and was either 'fully ejected or partially ejected' from his 2016 Honda Civic upon impact.
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When police arrived at the scene after a concerned passerby spotted the vehicle and called the authorities around 11am, a deceased Ducharme was outside of the 'heavily damaged' car.
It's believed a bear, who was spotted in the vicinity of the wreckage, may have dragged Ducharme's body from the vehicle.
"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 when police arrived at the scene.
There are reported to be around 4,500 black bears in the Hatfield region, many of whom are coming out of hibernation.
Following Ducharme's crash and the reports of a bear coming into contact with the deceased man, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs confirmed that a black bear in Hatfield has been euthanized.
"The Massachusetts Environmental Police and MassWildlife euthanized a bear in Hatfield. There is no threat to public safety," the government body said in a statement, as per Western Mass News.
According to the news outlet, police have taken down its initial report about a bear being involved after the crash.
UNILAD has approached Massachusetts State Police for comment.
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It is estimated that there are at least 600,000 black bears in North America, but wildlife experts insist the large animals don't attack humans unless provoked.
In a bid to avoid encountering a bear, the National Parks Service (NPS) says: "Keeping your distance and not surprising bears are some of the most important things you can do."
It adds: "Most bears will avoid humans if they hear them coming. Pay attention to your surroundings and make a special effort to be noticeable if you are in an area with known bear activity or a good food source, such as berry bushes."
In regards to black bears, NPS says you shouldn't play dead like you would do if being attacked by a brown bear.
"Try to escape to a secure place such as a car or building. If escape is not possible, try to fight back using any object available," it explains.
"Concentrate your kicks and blows on the bear's face and muzzle."
Of the thousands of bears in US, they're reported to kill less than one person per year on the average, says the North American Bear Center.