Wrecking ball cable breaks, rolls through town, hits car.

Alex Habay was in his Ford Taurus, stopped at a traffic light in downtown Meadville, Crawford County, yesterday morning, thinking about nothing, idly listening to a radio commercial while on his way to his summer job at the YMCA. That's when a 1,500-pound wrecking ball smashed into the rear of his car.

A cable from a crane that was demolishing part of the building, holding the 3-foot-diameter wrecking ball snapped, starting its downhill tumble from the college to the town. Police said crane operator Robby L. Boring, 28, of Meadville, was injured when he tried to stop the wrecking ball by throwing bricks in front of it. As it gained momentum, the wrecking ball rumbled from the campus along North Main Street, pinballing back and forth across the street, hitting nine parked cars and damaging curbs with each impact.

By the time it reached Mr. Habay's car at North Main and Randolph streets, it had gained enough momentum to crush the trunk into the back seat, showering Mr. Habay with glass and pushing his car into the two cars in front of him. The fourth car in line was a Meadville police cruiser. » Article here