Hungry javelina, trapped in car, goes for a drive in Arizona

Animal jumped in car to get a bag of Cheetos, and then knocked car into neutral causing it to roll down driveway and across the street

A javelina is seen inside a Subaru station wagon in Cornville, Arizona, on 6 April. Photograph: AP

A javelina is seen inside a Subaru station wagon in Cornville, Arizona, on 6 April. Photograph: AP

A hungry javelina ended up going for a drive in Arizona when it became trapped inside an empty car and bumped it into neutral.

Javelinas are pig-like animals that are native to desert environments. Deputies in Yavapai county responded to a call last week in Cornville, a community 10 miles south of Sedona, about a javelina stuck in a Subaru station wagon.

After speaking with the car’s owner and other residents, they determined the car’s hatchback had been left open overnight. The javelina jumped in to get to a bag of Cheetos. The hatch then closed, trapping the animal inside.

Authorities say the javelina ripped off a portion of the dashboard and the inside of a door in an attempt to escape.

The animal then managed to knock the car into neutral, causing it to roll down the driveway and across the street. The Subaru came to a rest, and the javelina was not injured.

A deputy opened the hatch, and the javelina was able to run back into the wilderness.