A KDKA-TV Pittsburgh crew was badly frightened, but came away without injury, when a hot-air balloon got away from the Three Rivers Regatta the crew was covering and ran into kdka-tv's ENG truck mast.
Executive Producer Jim Scott, reporter Jacque Smith and photographer Brice Lutz were in the truck when Lutz saw the balloon coming and screamed a warning, Scott said.
"The balloon hit the truck with great force," Scott said, "and the truck tipped. Both wheels on the driver's side came off the ground. We jumped out of the truck and saw the guy in the balloon with a panicked look on his face." Eventually the pilot regained control of the balloon.
Some damage was done to the top of the mast, the station reported, but Scott said he feels fortunate, having also escaped serious injury after a near-collision between a mast and electrical wires while working in Washington a few years back.
