Early Friday morning, a curious black bear opened an unlocked car door, climbed in, bumped the gear shaft and went rolling a short distance until coming to a stop in some brush. The interior of the car was thrashed, the windshield broken, so the car is being considered a total loss.
As reported by Yesenia Robles of Mercury News:
Ralph Story doesn't hold anything against bears, even though one broke into his car early Friday morning in Larkspur, Colorado and totaled it.
"He was just looking for something to eat; that's what bears do," Story said. "Anyone who lives out here knows there's going to be wildlife here. We learn to live with it."
His 17-year-old *** Ben, who usually drives the car, had left a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and a deodorant in the car, which is probably what attracted the bear, according to officials who talked to Story.
Early in the morning a black bear opened an unlocked car door. After he got in, the door closed behind him, Story said.
The Storys believe that as the bear shuffled around the car looking for a way out, he bumped into the gear shift and put the automatic transmission into neutral, sending the car rolling 125 feet back down a hill. It hit a few trees before coming to a stop in some brush.
The 2008 Toyota Corolla is being called a total loss, Story said. The interior is ripped up, the dashboard was torn out, the windshield is broken, and the airbags went off, he said.
"It was a big bear, full grown. It took up both front seats in the car," Story said.
