The Colorado Springs woman who was hit by a car after being chased by a bear was on the “Today Show” this morning, saying she has been painted as a villain for causing the bear’s death.
Ashley Swendsen, 26, and her fiance, Jesse Daly, were interviewed by Meredith Vieira about Swendsen’s ordeal on April 23.
“It’s an amazing story,” Vieira said. “It’s bizarre.”
See the tape at the .
Swendsen told Vieira she initially stayed calm after seeing the bear.
“At first I pretended like it was a dog, like a good dog, because it was a cute bear,” she said. When the bear continued to follow her, she began to run away and scream for help.
She ran up onto nearby Vincent Road, which doesn’t have a pedestrian sidewalk, and was hit by a car. She landed on its hood. The driver talked with Swendsen for a moment and then drove off, not stopping to help. The driver turned herself into authorities on Saturday, Swendsen said.
She described the bear to wildlife officials, who found it nearby and killed it.
Read what else the couple told the Today show at .
