Runaway Wrecking Ball Goes On Pa. Rampage

1,500-Pound Ball Injures 3 After Breaking From Crane Demolishing College Library

(AP)  A 1,500-pound wrecking ball broke loose from a crane cable and raced downhill, smashing into several cars and injuring three people before coming to rest in the trunk of a car at an intersection Monday.

The wrecking ball, about 3 feet in diameter, was being used to demolish part of a library at Allegheny College when the cable snapped, police said. The crane operator tried unsuccessfully to stop the ball.

The ball rolled nearly three-quarters of a mile downhill from the college and damaged vehicles as it bounced from curb to curb, police said.

More than a dozen vehicles were damaged, police said. Most of the damaged vehicles were parked, but the wrecking ball slammed into the rear of Alex Habay's car stopped at an intersection, causing a chain reaction accident with two other cars at the traffic light, police said.

"All of a sudden the back windshield exploded and I hit the car in front of me," said Habay, 20, a junior at Allegheny College. "I thought a car hit the back of me, but when I turned around, I couldn't see anything."

The ball lodged in the trunk of a car at an intersection, pushing the vehicle about 20 feet.

"I got out of my car and couldn't believe it when I walked back and saw this giant wrecking ball sitting in the trunk of the last car," said Meadville police Officer Brian Joseph.

Meadville is located about 90 miles north of Pittsburgh.

[jetlizhan]

just think if a baby had been in a carseat in the back of that car it landed in - what a horrible thought

[rushman71]

Can you imagine? Sitting in your car, at the bottom of a hill, behind a couple of cars, sipping on your coffee, listening to a good ol' soft toon by Metallica, when all of a sudden--BAAAM!!!!!! As Richard Prior once said,"First you say it, then you do it!!!"

[hedonist3]

I hate when that happens...

[olebd]

Straight out of Warner Bros cartoon.

[seaslew]

WOW... thats all i can say about this ,,,

[carolrhill]

I have often worried about such a thing happening I was not at the least bit surprised to see that happening at all. But as jetizhan said what if a child was in a car seat what a horrible thought.
Are these kinds of equipment checked out everyday before they are used to make sure that they are in excellent working condition?
If they are not that is a crime in itself. I hope that the company has the proper insurance and their licence is up to date.
MAY GOD BLESS ALL THE PEOPLE THAT GOT INVOLVED WITH THAT ACCIDENT!!!

[generey]

Con you say "instant millionaire"?

[jetlizhan]

rushman71 -
good one!

[mbpfrance]

As sure as it is true that a rolling stone gathers no moss I betcha a rolling wrecking crane ball gathers attorneys - lots of em!

Surprised a smoother than silk looking attorney was'nt there with a microphone declaring damages in line as result of emotional and real loss, disenfranchisement brought on from separation from family and thinking mal practise re early separation of crane umbilical cord.....head and body injury without question and *** life completely in the toilet!

oh yeah this attorney represents the rolling ball!

[barbaraf4]

They were very lucky that no one was killed.

[barbaraf4]

"Are these kinds of equipment checked out everyday before they are used to make sure that they are in excellent working condition?
If they are not that is a crime in itself." Posted by carolrhill at 10:00 AM : Jul 10, 2007
~~
Just like all the carnival rides that used to be safe, I suspect the Bush administration has dropped inspections all together, or requires them at 50 year intervals.

[mnelsonix]

Gives a whole new meaning to, "Junk in the Trunk!"

[doggymama]

olebd took the words right out of my mouth.

I wasn't even aware that wrecking balls were still in use. I was under the impression that dynamite (or other explosives) were used to create an "implosion" on a building.

All they needed was Wile E. Coyote or that Oscar winning rabbit Bugs Bunny to make it complete.

[hugbee]

Interesting that the driver is being carried away in a stretcher after he "turned around" to look, got out and looked at the damage and made statements to the press. I'm sure he'll claim he was hurt.

[actornaught]

hugbee, the victom didn't say he got out of his car, a cop said that.

By the way, this is the same little town that gave us Sharon Stone!

[boopsie200]

Note to hugbee: I trust that the paramedics knew what they were doing in taking care of this driver. I was in a car that was rear-ended some years ago. At the time, I felt fine but a few hours later, while lying down, I found that I could not raise my head from the pillow. That was a minor whiplash injury (which cleared up in a few days). The car in this story took a much greater hit than the one I was in. People joke about insurance collars, but I'm sure anyone who has ever had a serious whiplash injury is not laughing.

[rushlimpdrug]

"wrecking ball broke loose"-
- oh sure, blame the wrecking ball.
"Taurus- built Ford tough"

[jimibear]

"Gives a whole new meaning to, "Junk in the Trunk!"
Posted by mnelsonix at 10:32 AM : Jul 10, 2007
+ report abuse"

Dammit! You stole the terrible joke I was going to post! :-P

[actornaught]

aard is admitting to being a closet 'liberalized', whereever that definition came from (rush parrot?). He's easily left the most contemptuous post so far, and obviously is very morally conflicted.

[blkdog2]

Wanna get away?

[randalds]

Sounds like the action sequence in an old Harold Lloyd movie. I'm glad no one was hurt, but I sure would have loved to see it happening. Bet it was funny to watch.

[actornaught]

Don't these things travel in pairs?

[actornaught]

Why? I speels real good in my "subterrainian" way.

hahahahaha.....

[rushlimpdrug]

Guys,
This is what happens when you don't stay within the limits of the ball and chain.

[actornaught]

Oopsie... i think i used bad 'grammer'!!

Whatta nincowpoop, such a gulla-bull...

But seriously, hahahahahahaha!!!

[loqut]

Funny the way it was describe how it had happen, I can only imagin the expressions of the people faces when they found that wrecking ball in that person car though. Luckly no one got kill.

[nskduke]

I don't think duct tape can solve this problem.

[actornaught]

Why a duck, why not a chicken?

(watch out Loqut, you probably made aardbeavis cry...)

[grammawhamma]

"The crane operator tried unsuccessfully to stop the ball." HOW!!?? Did he jump out of the crane and chase it down the road??

[actornaught]

YES, he jumped out and chased it, and tried to chock it with wood blocks. These guys don't sit around wringing their hands when something goes wrong...

[beanerman4]

BUILT FORD TOUGH!

Probably prevented further damage and/or saved a life by having a large enough trunk to store more than a set of gold clubs.

Would have just rolled over a piece of junk Toyota like a tin can.

Anyone get that on home video?

[actornaught]

I think this has the makings of a new festival, 'The Running of the Balls', except they need to roll 2 at a time. You know, like clackers...

[hawksprings]

Funny story!

I would imagine that an investigation will reveal that the increased temps of climate change has created increased humidity which caused accelerated rusting of the cable which caused it to snap. Thus the blame for this accident will rightfully be laid at the feet of President Bush and Exxon for doing nothing about Global Warming.

And since Algore has been working on preventing Global Warming for 30 years, I'm sure he will be issuing a statement shortly that if he had been elected president, this never would have happened.

...

[beanerman4]

actornaught

I get it now. Pairs. That is funny!

I meant golf clubs, by the way. Looks like I need to brush up on my typing skills.

By the way, this was entirely Bush's fault.

[kek56789]

Two comments: 1) I think they were filming another Indiana Jones movie. 2) How did it get INSIDE the trunk?? How did the truck get open?? Something is fishy here ;-) This is just a ploy to distract us from the ridulous government shutdown in PA. Impeach Richardson (is that his name?).

[mo005]

They said the guy running the crane tried to stop it??? How did he try to stop it, by jumping out in front of it ha ha ha. I bet it was funny to see the guys face that it landed on when he went back to see what hit the car.

[mo005]

hawksprings ; Just be happy it wasn't a white ball hiting a black car Sharpton, and Jessie Jackson would be raising hell.

That is what you get when you destroy a library!

[kek56789]

I think this would be a great movie. First 45 minutes would be about the families of the operator and the soccer player in the car. All the drama of their lives. Also the derelict crane inspector who let the accident happen. All the people who tried to stop the ball as it rolled down the hill. The grandmother that threw herself under it. The heroic efforts of the first responders in small town America. At the end everyone is OK and they let they guy keep the ball as a souvenir.

[randalds]

Sounds like a metaphor for Bush's foreign policy. Except a whole lot less destructive.

[actornaught]

"Sounds like a metaphor for Bush's foreign policy"

You mean the part about the giant raspy unlubed suppository?

[roach9703]

No the GUV of PA is FAST EDDY or um.....
REND ..ELL.

[walt1944-2009]

It has just been learned that the wrecking ball incident in Pennsylvania has inspired Emperor Bush to augment a new tactic in Iraq.

The Emperor will send 10,000 wrecking balls to Iraq to be used by US troops to "flush" insurgents hiding in buildings or on rooftops. Once an insurgent hideout has been identified, US troops will roll the wrecking balls into the insurgent hideout, destroying the hideout and crushing into jelly anyone who gets in the way. That way, US troops would not be in "harms way" or be shot by "friendly fire" unless they didn't move fast enough!

Supporters of the new plan, notably John (Bagdad John) McCain and other ardent right-wingers, hail the plan as the best idea to come out of the Oval Office yet, and expect that the insurgents will sue for peace as soon as they stop running to get out of the way of the wrecking balls.

The Emperor has named the new strategy "Let's Roll!".

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!

[randalds]

You mean the part about the giant raspy unlubed suppository?
Posted by actornaught at 06:03 PM : Jul 10, 2007

That too.

;-)

[toolmangler-2009]

This puts substance to the question, "You got any balls".

[pauluba]

test

[mitdgreenb]

ring ring
"Hello? Allstate? Well... um... I was sitting in my car and a giant ball rolled down a hill and totaled it."
.......
"No, I am NOT kidding."
........
"What do mean by a 'no payment for giant wrecking balls' clause???!!!"



PS "Clackers" -- I laughed out loud on that one.

[jw218389]

Uh Oh.. After this news day - we now have to ban Cars, Planes, and wrecking balls...

Let's get right on it until there is no freedom left!!!!

Freedom wasn't Free so Let's just give it away - NOT!!

[cantshutup]

too bad it didn't roll right in to the oval office

[mbpfrance]

Five reasons this is a great story!

Various sense of humors expressed show sanity prevails in USA!

Non presence of lieing *** in Washington-unless the whole event was fabricated to divert attn from Gonzales story! But even then we can allow they will swear under oath that the event either did or did not actually happen! Honest!

FBI not involved as it ball did not cross state lines.

Home Security verifying rumor that bin Laden seen in 7/11 one block away! But he left on private commuter jet to Akron Ohio! Bush trying to confirm if Akron is in USA!

Proof that American built car tougher than wuzzy Godzilla version cars!