HATFIELD, MASS. (WHDH) - Massachusetts State Police from the Northampton Barracks responded to a fatal car crash in Hatfield Sunday morning.
Just after 11 a.m. Sunday a motorist on Route 91 reported a partially obscured vehicle in the woods on the side of the road. Responders located a “heavily damaged” Honda Civic in the woods, “amid several trees”.
“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,” MSP said in a statement. “Evidence suggests the bear at some point had made contact with the victim’s body.”
Authorities said their preliminary investigations suggests the driver, identified as Daniel Ducharme, 31, of South Hadley, had likely crashed within the previous few hours while traveling south on the highway. It is believed Ducharme lost control of the sedan, repeatedly hitting the guardrail before driving off the road, down an embankment, and into the woods where he struck several trees.
“Evidence and observations at the scene suggest that the man was most likely deceased as a result of the crash and was either fully ejected or partially ejected and later dragged from the car by the bear,” MSP said. “The bear left the area while responders were on scene.”
The investigation remains ongoing.
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