Bear euthanized after I-91 incident, but may not be the same bear

After a bear dragged a man’s body from the scene of a fatal accident Sunday, state officials confirmed that a bear at the scene was later killed.

A 2016 Honda Civic was found along a stretch of Interstate 91 in Hatfield shortly after 11 a.m. Sunday, police said. 31-year-old Daniel Ducharme, the only person in the car, was found dead at the scene. Police said the South Hadley man died in the crash and was “either completely or partially ejected and later dragged from the car by the bear.”

The state’s Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs confirmed that a black bear had been euthanized near the crash site.

“Because a bear was observed making contact with the deceased person following the crash, MassWildlife and the Massachusetts Environmental Police (MEP) killed a black bear at the scene out of an abundance of caution,” said someone from the agency.

The office did not confirm whether the bear euthanized was the same bear as the one in the earlier incident.

Earlier this spring, MassWildlife warned hikers and residents of Worcester County, Middlesex County and western Massachusetts that thousands of bears would emerge from hibernation this year. At least 4,500 bears will look for other food sources, especially because the harvest of acorns and nuts was smaller this year.

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