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.

[gumonshoe-2009]

Hahahaha, thats MY school.

Probably knew the guy too. But hey, its Allegheny, where your best hasn't been good enough since 1815. Also home of the windchill, and now runaway recking balls.

Good thing that I wasn't in the library... and I work there.

Also congrats to all you who were intelligent to come up with hackneyed bush jokes because that was entirely related and original.

[rushlimpdrug]

Guy in Taurus, "Well, no I don't have a tiger in the tank, but I do have a wrecking ball in the trunk."

[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!

[cantshutup]

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

[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!!

[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.

[pauluba]

test

[toolmangler-2009]

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

[randalds]

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

That too.

;-)

[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!!

[roach9703]

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

[actornaught]

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

You mean the part about the giant raspy unlubed suppository?

[randalds]

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

[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.

That is what you get when you destroy a library!

[mo005]

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

[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.

[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?).

[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.

[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.

...