Hungry bear destroys family's car in Larkspur

By Yesenia Robles
The Denver Post

Posted: 07/24/2010 01:00:00 AM MDT

Ralph Story doesn't hold anything against bears, even though one broke into his car early Friday morning in Larkspur 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 son Ben, who usually drives the car, had left a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a stick of deodorant in the car, which is probably what attracted the bear, according to officials.

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 gearshift 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.

The insurance company will cover the damage.

The bear's joy ride started about 2:30 a.m., when Story's neighbors began hearing strange noises from the home.

After hearing honking from a car for about 45 minutes, a neighbor decided to go see what the noise was.

"She thought we weren't here, so she figured our teens were the ones making the racket," Story said.

As she got close, she noticed something seemingly violent happening inside the car, so she called the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Story said.

A sergeant and two deputies responded to the call that was supposed to be a check on a suspicious vehicle.

"The deputies were really surprised. They had thought it was maybe kids," said Michelle Rademacher, a spokeswoman for the sheriff's office.

"We got the call at about 4:15 a.m. — it was one of those 'oh my God' calls," Story said.

Of the five family members in the house, only Story's wife, Stacey, had heard some noises, but she ignored them, not knowing they were coming from their own car.

The bear was freed about 5 a.m. when deputies used a long rope to open the car from a distance, allowing the bear to run off.

Story said the adventure will be a fond memory, and he plans to enlarge and frame one of the pictures taken Friday morning.

"When you have teenage kids, it's kind of hard to get your whole family together," Story said. "Last night, we were all out there laughing."

From: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15590562?source=pop