Wayward Bear Accidentally Locked Inside a Minivan Smashes Driver’s Side Window to Make an Escape

An Asheville, North Carolina woman, who was visiting family in a wooded area, had accidentally left the door open on her minivan while bringing her kids inside the house. When she ran out to close the door a few moments later, she unknowingly trapped a wayward bear who had climbed inside. When they were ready to leave, she noticed the ursine intruder by the “foggy windows and the van rocking”. Two men came out of the house and bravely attempted to open the door for the increasingly desperate bear, but the door kept slamming shut, eventually locking automatically. The frustrated bear finally smashed through the driver’s side window and made an escape, leaving a big old mess behind.

The neighbors had a bear in their car ! They came home , took the kids in the house. She came back out to notice the car door was open. she went out to close the door, not realizing until later ( foggy windows and the van rocking), that the bear was inside Their car was totaled inside!!

Once free, the wily bear somehow made it over to the house of artist Karen K. Brown, raided the kitchen and was eventually found eating dry muffin mix in the garage.

While the drama unfolds , and the bear gets out and saunters away … we walk back home across the street to find THAT SAME BEAR has walked in our house ( open front door). To go thru my kitchen drawers. We found him in our garage eating a muffin mix. We scared him off but he broke a few drawers. Glad that was all!

Bear Minivan Escape

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.