Old Smokestack Tries To Kill Guy In Excavator

A smokestack collapses onto an excavator recently in Pell City Alabama.

Recently, crews in Pell City Alabama decided they needed to get rid of a derelict 158-foot tall, 2.6 million pound brick smokestack looming over the town.

They tried to take the thing down with explosives - twice. It still stood tottering and damaged, when Tim Phifer decided to finish the smokestack off by knocking it down with his excavator.

It worked!

Trouble is, the smokestack all 2.6 million pounds of it, landed on his excavator. Not good.

Luckily, he had the presense of mind to stay in the excavator rather than trying to flee. The excavator was crushed, but the protective cage surrounding him helped him hang in there.

He just suffered a couple of scratches and was totally covered in soot. But he's OK.

Here's the dramatic report from Good Morning America, partly filmed via drone. Awesome and scary (h/t) Boing Boing.