A Bear Destroyed my Car!

Yall know I'm a mountain girl and love spending time outdoors and exploring with my dog. It's a beautiful time of year here in the San Juan Mountains; the leaves are changing to golden yellow, the sky is super blue with white fluffy clouds, the temperatures are perfect for hiking and mountain biking, and the waterfalls are slowing down. It's also that time of year that the bears are out!

With the dropping temperatures and the bears getting ready for hibernation, they are usually a little more exploratory and creative in acquiring food to fatten up for their winter slumber. Simply put, this means dumpster diving, strolling neighborhoods, stripping apple trees, and raiding fall gardens.

A unique skill that the local bears have acquired is opening car doors, but only from the outside. Once a bear goes into the car, they usually rock the car, the door shuts and then they proceed to destroy the car in a panic trying to escape their claustrophobic self-capture. They pull the panels off the doors, pulling inward because pulling towards them is how they got the doors open in the first place.

Sometimes this happens because there is food in the car, but this isn't always the case. They can smell food that may have spilled, an empty juice bottle, crumbs, or even a granola bar wrapper.

I did not have any food in my car, and the only thing in there was my coffee mug that lives in my car.

What about insurance?

Insurance will for sure pay some money for the car, but unfortunately I still have thousands of dollars to pay off the loan for the car. Most likely 100% of the check from the insurance will go straight to the finance company and I will still have to pay out of pocket to pay the remainder of the balance.. my estimate is about $3,000 biased on what I still owe on the car and what the car is valued at currently.

Will insurance pay for a rental?

No, my full coverage insurance does not include a rental car for the time being when I am shopping for a new car.

Yes, I still have to come up with funds to buy a new car.

Because of how much I owe, and the payout of what my car is worth, all of my money from my claim will go to the finance company. I will have to work extra days and with off-season coming up, and work slowing down, it is going to be very hard for me to make enough money to purchase a new car.

With all this said, my car got destroyed, and I would appreciate any help you can provide me in raising funds for a new whip.

I loved the gas mileage that this hybrid car got me, but I am just looking to get an older car that I do not have to make payments on and just something to get me to and from work.

I am extremely grateful that myself, my dog, nor the bear was injured in this incident. And material things can be replaced, but sometimes not so easily.

Future shout out to all my friends who will be giving me rides and letting me carpool with them in the next few weeks. And much appreciation to the public transportation system in San Miguel county that I will be relying on.

Thanks for the funds, the well wishes, and the LOVE from all my friends and family. And yes, I still have love for this silly bear.

Love, Compassion, and Gratitude

Tabitha Rosa & Scout