Colorado man opens truck door and finds bear in passenger seat
When you watch a Colorado man open his pickup truck door in Steamboat Springs, you see Andy Kerrigan face a bear sitting in the passenger seat. Home security footage captured the June 29, 2026 encounter after the animal climbed in through an open window and refused to leave until Kerrigan scared it off with a wooden plank. Justin Pickar's Nest camera recorded the moment from outside the house as the standoff unfolded.
Key Takeaways
- Security video shows Andy Kerrigan opening his truck door and discovering a bear in the passenger seat in Steamboat Springs.
- The bear reportedly entered through an open window and ignored Kerrigan's first attempts to scare it away.
- Kerrigan eventually used a wooden plank to intimidate the bear into leaving the vehicle.
- Justin Pickar's Nest home security camera captured the full encounter from outside the house.
- The pickup truck did not appear to be seriously damaged after the bruin vacated.
What does the security camera video show?
When you watch the Colorado man open his truck door, the footage shows a routine moment turning into a wildlife standoff in seconds. Kerrigan walks to the passenger side, pulls the handle, and immediately recoils when he spots the bear on the seat.
Instead of bolting through the open door, the animal keeps rooting around inside the cab. Kerrigan runs to the front of the truck, but the bear does not exit through the open door and continues searching the interior.
The reaction is immediate and unmistakable — nobody expects a wild bear to be waiting where a passenger would normally sit. Encounters like this are a staple of our Bizarre News & Florida Man coverage, where everyday routines collide with the unexpected.
How did the bear get into the truck?
According to UPI's report, Kerrigan said the bear apparently climbed into the vehicle through an open window before he ever reached the door. The incident took place in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Pickar's Nest camera was positioned at his Steamboat Springs home and captured Kerrigan's bear encounter in front of the house. That angle gives viewers a clear look at how quickly the situation escalated once the door swung open.
Why didn't the bear leave when Kerrigan opened the door?
The video makes clear that an open exit was not enough. After Kerrigan opened the passenger door, the bear chose to keep rooting around inside rather than flee — behavior UPI described as an apparent search for food.
The bear stayed focused on the cab interior instead of using the open passenger door. Kerrigan had already run around to the front of the truck, but the animal remained inside.
How did Kerrigan finally get the bear out?
When the bear would not leave on its own, Kerrigan retrieved a wooden plank and used it to intimidate the bear into vacating the vehicle. UPI reported that the approach worked and the animal eventually left the truck.
The footage documents Kerrigan's escalation from opening the door to taking a more forceful step once the bear ignored the exit. The wooden plank proved to be the tactic that ended the standoff.
Was the truck damaged?
UPI reported that the pickup did not appear to be seriously damaged by the bear. Beyond the shock of finding a wild animal in the front seat, Kerrigan walked away with his vehicle largely intact.
The June 29 footage underscores how quickly an open window can turn a parked truck into a target. Kerrigan said the bear climbed in that way — explaining how the passenger seat was occupied before he ever touched the handle.