WATCH: Bear smashes through windshield after destroying inside of NC family’s SUV

Family believes bear was trapped inside for 6 hours
A Buncombe County, NC family caught a bear on camera after it destroyed their SUV. (Courtesy: Ashley McGowin)
Published: Apr. 8, 2022 at 2:24 PM EDT|Updated: Apr. 8, 2022 at 2:39 PM EDT
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ASHEVILLE, N.C. (FOX Carolina) - Not many kids can honestly say, “a bear destroyed my homework.” But one western North Carolina boy can after a black bear got trapped in his family’s SUV overnight.

Ashley McGowin said she went to walk her dogs around 6:30 a.m. on Friday and saw the hazard lights on her SUV blinking.

What she saw next is hard to believe - a bear trapped inside the vehicle. The family thinks the bear was able to open an unlocked door and get inside.

The bear destroyed the inside of the car and to get back out, it smashed through the windshield. The family recorded the bear during the moments it was stuck trying to climb through.

To top things off, McGowin said the bear peed on her son’s homework in the SUV too.

After making its escape, the bear was reunited with its two cubs. The bear had a tracker on its ear.

Neighbors told McGowin they heard honking around midnight so she believes the bear was trapped in the SUV for more than six hours.

McGowin said they see bears around their house four to five times a week, but never in a situation like this before.

Bear reunited with cubs after escaping SUV.
Bear reunited with cubs after escaping SUV.(Ashley McGowin)