Bear gets stuck in SUV searching for food

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. SUV owner Jean Hart said she heard a strange sound the night of April 23rd. She went out onto the deck of her home in the foothills west of Denver and saw her SUV rocking back and forth in the driveway.

• Video: Bear tries to escape SUV
• More: Most Popular stories, videos and more
• More: Get breaking news alerts

It turns out, a bear had gotten inside her unlocked 2004 Honda Pilot, but couldn't get back out.

Hart called 911. She and Jefferson County Sheriff's deputies looked on as the bear tore apart nearly everything inside the car and smashed the windshield.

One of the deputies told Hart, "I think he's trying to get out of your sun roof." Hart responded, "I don't have a sun roof."

The bear even managed to activate the emergency flashers and set off the SUV's panic alarm. Smoke began to pour out of the dashboard.

"It was very painful to listen to that bear ripping my car apart, because I knew it was being destroyed," Hart said.

Finally, a deputy rigged a rope to a door handle. From a safe distance, he tugged on the rope. The door flew open, and the bear bolted for freedom into the nearby woods.

Deputies estimate the bear weighed at least 300 pounds. As for Hart's SUV, it's a total loss.

Report Typo |  Send Tip |  Get Alerts | Most Popular
Follow @abc7 on Twitter  |  Become a fan on Facebook