Pregnant woman being chased by bear gets hit by car

**Kalehue** · April 23rd, 2009, 06:12 PM

A pregnant woman was running from a bear when she ran into the road and was struck by a car, said the Colorado Springs Police Department.

Ashley Swendsen, 26, was struck this afternoon, near the intersection of Woodmen Drive and Vincent Drive on the city's northwest side. She was taken to Memorial Hospital and is in stable condition.

Officer Robert Patterson of the Falcon Division said he doesn't know how the chase began, but he knows that bears frequently use drainage ditches in the area as a crossing.

Police and the Department of Wildlife located the bear and tranquilized it. DOW spokesman Michael Seraphin said the bear was identified by the victim - particularly its unusual cinnamon color - and it will be euthanized today.

http://www.gazette.com/articles/woma...epartment.html

**Thinkgoat** · April 23rd, 2009, 06:20 PM

THAT'S a bad day...but it could have been worse!

**Pazuzu** · April 23rd, 2009, 06:20 PM

Originally Posted by thinkgoat

THAT'S a bad day...but it could have been worse!

I was just thinking the exact same thing

**Peeperann** · April 23rd, 2009, 06:22 PM

First, is the baby and her going to be ok?

And secondly, why can't they just tranq the bear and move it? Why kill it?

**Silvahalo** · April 23rd, 2009, 06:24 PM

Seriously bad day! I thought mine wasn't going so well....geeesh. I hope she recovers and doesn't lose the baby.

**MichaelJCheaney** · April 23rd, 2009, 06:25 PM

Officer Robert Patterson of the Falcon Division said he doesn't know how the chase began,

What a STUPID thing to say...The woman ran. The bear chased her.

Even I was able to figure that out!

Duh!

**Athena** · April 23rd, 2009, 06:28 PM

WOW. That's a story for the ages.

**Kalehue** · April 23rd, 2009, 06:38 PM

Originally Posted by Peeperann

First, is the baby and her going to be ok?

And secondly, why can't they just tranq the bear and move it? Why kill it?

The article says she's in stable condition, but doesn't mention the baby.

I hate that they're euthanizing the bear -- especially with it's unique cinnamon coloring. Bears who come into populated areas have a habit of continuing to do so, though. In Durango they used to have a 2-strike policy. If a bear was behaving badly, they would capture it, tag it, and relocate it the first time. The second time they would euthanize it. Don't know what the policy is in Colorado Springs.

**SoUncool** · April 23rd, 2009, 07:42 PM

My apologies for the groan...I didn't mean to daggumit! Thanks for the story!

**DarkPrincess** · April 23rd, 2009, 07:45 PM

That woman was having a really shitty day.

**MichaelJCheaney** · April 23rd, 2009, 07:46 PM

Originally Posted by DarkPrincess

That woman was having a really shitty day.

She Bear-ly made it out alive!

**Tazzzz** · April 23rd, 2009, 08:13 PM

Ashley Swendsen

First of all the lady that hit the pregnant woman with her car, stopped then took off leaving her there, WTF!!!!!!!!! You hit a woman being cased by a bear, then fucking leave????? What the fuck is wrong with you.

Second of all there was no reason to put the Bear down, it didnt say it attacked her and chasing is relitive. Bears that eat out of the garbage dont really attack people. And not to mention Bears can run up to 35 miles and hour, you will NEVER out run a bear unless it lets you. It must have been pretty far away from her in-order for her to get away.

How do we know it wasn't a bear that people fed all the time and was just runing to get some food, or how do we know Ashley wasn't out there feeding it food???? Infact when they went up to capture the bear it was docile , Yeah right the big mean bear!!! NOT!!!!!!!!

Police are also searching for the driver, who spoke to the woman, but left before police arrived.

emeigs wrote:

No the bear is not a mother. They had to destroy the bear because the neighbors regularly set food out for it and it was totally not afraid of anyone. When DOW and the PD walked up to it she just sat there munching on birdseed like a big dog. In fact, my dog would have been more afraid than the bear was. The bear died because no matter how many times it is reported dumb a#@ people continue to leave birdfeeders, trash, dog food and other delectable treats where the bears have access. She is one of several in the area. She probably chased the woman looking for a handout. Way to go Rockrimmon. Maybe you will now cut off the craft service for the rest of the bears!!!!

http://www.9news.com/news/article.as...4367&catid=339

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++

FYI: for people who don't know much about bears, this was a Black bear, not a grizzly or brown bear. Black Bears come in a few different flavors. They even come in white and its not a albino bear its just a white, black bear. There are a bunch up in BC on a island, the locals call them Ghost Bears.

**Peeperann** · April 23rd, 2009, 08:20 PM

First of all the lady that hit the pregnant woman with her car, stopped then took off leaving her there, WTF!!!!!!!!! You hit a woman being cased by a bear, then fucking leave????? What the fuck is wrong with you.

The woman hit her and then left her??? Damn I hope they find that bitch.

And yeah, i'm mad as hell they are going to kill the bear. It's a bear!! It's a wild animal, it's what they do! Is there somewhere we can write or call to try to stop them?

**Tazzzz** · April 23rd, 2009, 08:31 PM

Originally Posted by Peeperann

The woman hit her and then left her??? Damn I hope they find that bitch.

And yeah, i'm mad as hell they are going to kill the bear. It's a bear!! It's a wild animal, it's what they do! Is there somewhere we can write or call to try to stop them?

I dought it, its probly already dead now, or will be in the morning. The Colorado State Department of Wildlife has the bear. They should find the hit and run driver and pour food all over her then stick the bear in the car with her.

**Peeperann** · April 23rd, 2009, 08:32 PM

Originally Posted by Tazzzz

I dought it, its probly already dead now, or will be in the morning. The Colorado State Department of Wildlife has the bear. They should find the hit and run driver and pour food all over her then stick the bear in the car with her.

Just Damn.

**MichaelJCheaney** · April 23rd, 2009, 08:36 PM

Lets think about this for a second shall we?

Your driving along. A woman appears out of nowhere.

You hit her with your car. You notice a bear following close behind the woman you just hit.

Are you sure you seriously want to stop and render aid to the woman you just hit, and make it a 2 for 1 deal for the bear......

I don't fucking think so!

I can't blame the other woman for not sticking around.

**sherrz** · April 23rd, 2009, 08:39 PM

I can't blame the other woman for not sticking around.

The one article said that she stopped to talk to the pregnant lady. I wouldn't have necessarily stuck around, but I would have at least let her in my car so I could take her to the hospital to get checked out.

**Peeperann** · April 23rd, 2009, 08:41 PM

Are you sure you seriously want to stop and render aid to the woman you just hit, and make it a 2 for 1 deal for the bear......

Mikey, Mikey, yeah i'm sure. LOL

**Tazzzz** · April 23rd, 2009, 09:08 PM

Originally Posted by MichaelJCheaney

Lets think about this for a second shall we?

Your driving along. A woman appears out of nowhere. You hit her with your car. You notice a bear following close behind the woman you just hit.

Are you sure you seriously want to stop and render aid to the woman you just hit, and make it a 2 for 1 deal for the bear...... I don't fucking think so!
I can't blame the other woman for not sticking around.

Actually I would, But I am a dumbass and go looking for them to take there picts. They don't scare me that much and if you pepper spray them they will run off. I probly wouldnt stand around outside the car much though if it was really ticked off. Beside that your to nice of a guy to run over a pregnant gal and just drive off leaving her to fend for herself.

**Kalehue** · April 24th, 2009, 12:52 AM

You were right, Tazzzz. The bear is already dead. :-(

Sounds like the driver of the car is an older woman (in her 70's).

Her physical injuries are believed to be minor, but the nervousness was still evident in her voice as she waited to see a doctor at about 4 p.m.

As the bear first appeared about 2 feet away from her on a hiking trail between the Vincent Drive Bridge and Interstate 25, she said "I thought ... 'what am I going to do?'"

She walked quickly for a few seconds before her fear overcame her and she began to run. The 4-foot-tall brown bear galloped behind her for about 20 seconds until she reached the roadway at 1005 Garlock Way.

"I started screaming for help, but nobody could hear me," she said.

Wildlife officers soon located and killed the female bear. No cubs were found nearby. Swendsen said she was going to see its body after she was checked out at the hospital.Colorado Springs police are still looking for the hit-and-run driver, a woman likely to be in her 70s driving a black four-door Mitsubishi sedan.

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_12210666

**Pazuzu** · April 24th, 2009, 08:35 AM

Originally Posted by Tazzzz

They don't scare me that much and if you pepper spray them they will run off.

You pepper spraying bears now? WTF! Are you Chuck Norris?

**Tazzzz** · April 24th, 2009, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by HotReadingMama

You pepper spraying bears now? WTF! Are you Chuck Norris?

Pepper spray works on lots of things Dogs, bears, cougars.... people. Just one of the things you bring with you , like water. Personally I am more worried about crazy tard, Meth cookers in the woods than I am about a Bear attacking me.

**Earth2Amanda** · April 24th, 2009, 01:40 PM

What a story to tell the child if it survives.

**Kalehue** · April 25th, 2009, 01:57 PM

Looks like Ashley and her baby are both fine. She is going to give the baby the middle name of "Bear." I'm sad they euthanized the bear.

Wildlife officers capture the bear that followed Ashley.

Ashley Swendsen, 26, said she thought the bear followed her more out of curiosity than malice because it kept a distance of about 10 feet Thursday morning on a hiking trail between the Vincent Drive Bridge and Interstate 25.

As she ran, she thought, "If it was going to hurt me, it already would have."

Swendsen managed to scramble up an embankment and was crossing the street when she was hit by a slow-moving car. Although she was not seriously injured, she was taken to a hospital as a precaution because she was pregnant.

Police said they're looking for the driver of the car that hit Swendsen. The driver stopped and said a few words to her and then drove away without offering any help.

Swendsen told CBS station KCNC-TV in Denver that she first spotted the bear as it was coming out of a creek.

"I didn't know what to do, so I just kept walking," she said. "I wasn't going to start sprinting."

But she started running when the bear moved toward her.

The Colorado Division of Wildlife said the chase happened in an area where bears are common. Division spokesman Michael Seraphin said the brown-colored North American black bear was tranquilized and later euthanized after Swendsen identified it.

Swendsen said she was sad to hear about the bear's death.

"Yeah, because the bear spared me, and then it had to die," she said.

Swendsen, who is about five months pregnant, said she doesn't know the sex of her baby but will give it the middle name "Bear" whether it's a boy or a girl.

http://cbs13.com/watercooler/pregnan....2.993330.html

**Marv** · April 25th, 2009, 05:33 PM

They shouldn't have killed the bear. It was just being a bear, in it natural habitat ffs! If you go walking where bears ''are common'', then dont be surprised if you see one!

It was obviously more curious than anything, or Ashley would not have had the chance to identify it. Im sure she feels really bad to hear that the bear was euthanised. I know I would feel like shit if it had died because of me!

Im glad her and her baby are ok. And WTF?? at that old tart not offering help?! Nasty.

**RaVen Blackehart** · April 25th, 2009, 11:43 PM

**Ceffy** · April 26th, 2009, 12:53 AM

As every day is hell when pregnant with hyperemesis, I just wake up in the morning and think to myself, at least I wasn't just chased by a bear and hit by a car. Cheers me up every time...