It’s all fun and games until bears start to drive. A couple in Durango, Colorado, received an unexpected surprise early one morning when a bear crashed a Subaru Forester into their mailbox and left the damaged vehicle on their front lawn, according to a report by the Durango Herald.
The bear, whose identity remains unknown, reportedly broke into a neighbor’s Subaru during the night. In its search for food, it wreaked havoc inside the vehicle, ripping out the steering column, ruining the radio, and leaving behind a mess on the seats. After failing to find anything to eat, the bear attempted what was perceived as a short drive to the nearest grocery store.
However, that isn’t quite accurate. The Durango Police clarified that the bear managed to disengage the parking brake and shifted the manual transmission out of gear, causing the Subaru to roll backward from the driveway, down the street, and onto Ron Cornelius’s lawn.
“I usually don’t wake up at 5 a.m. unless a bear is driving a car down the street,” Cornelius quipped to the Herald.
The collision shattered the rear window of the Subaru, allowing the bear to flee before Cornelius and his wife could investigate. Initially, they thought a human might have been behind the chaotic incident, but the extensive damage inside the car, along with the evidence of bear droppings, made it clear what really happened.
This incident is not the only bear-related Subaru story to emerge from Colorado this year. In fact, a representative from Colorado Parks and Wildlife stated that a late frost in early June adversely affected the acorn and berry crops that bears typically rely on, prompting them to search for alternative food sources. So far this year, Durango officials have addressed over 200 bear complaints, a stark increase from just 56 in all of 2016.
For those residing in Colorado, it might be wise to keep your car locked for the remainder of the summer.
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