Bear euthanized in wake of I-91 incident, but maybe not the same bear

After a man's body was dragged from the scene of a fatal car crash by a bear, state officials euthanized a nearby black bear.

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

A 2016 Honda Civic was found off a stretch of Interstate 91 in Hatfield just 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 fully ejected 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 near the scene of the crash had been euthanized.

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

The office did not confirm if the bear that was euthanized was the same bear from the earlier incident.

Earlier this spring, MassWildlife warned hikers and residents of Worcester County, Middlesex County, and western Massachusetts that thousands of bears will be coming out of hibernation this year. At least 4,500 bears will be looking for different food sources, particularly because there was a lower crop of acorn and nuts this year.