Car hits manhole cover and spins out of control

A car heading southbound on 8th Ave. NW dislodged a manhole cover this evening, triggering an unusual accident that sent the driver to the hospital.

Bystanders tell us the car drove over the manhole cover in the middle of the intersection at 8th Ave. and 65th St. just before 7 p.m. The cover came loose, flipping up under the car, and the vehicle ended up on the sidewalk a few feet away, pointed in the opposite direction. The driver suffered minor injuries in the accident, and he was taken to the hospital for evaluation. The bottom of the car, from our vantage point, suffered significant damage.

The manhole cover shot down the street another 100 feet, coming to rest near a parked car. Fortunately, it didn’t hit anyone.

A sign advertising a pancake breakfast was placed over the empty manhole, along with some cones, to prevent other drivers from hitting it. No word on what caused the manhole cover to come loose.