Hot-air balloons hit truck, power line at Albuquerque event

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Two hot air balloons in the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta were involved Tuesday in separate accidents, with one landing on a truck and the other striking a power line.

There were no injuries reported from the incidents that happened about a mile apart, police Officer Simon Drobik said.

One balloon landed on a parked truck near an intersection about 7 miles south of Balloon Fiesta Park, where hundreds of balloons launch every morning during nine-day event.

"The gondola landed on the truck and it scratched it up," Drobik said.

The envelope of another balloon became tangled in power lines as it landed, temporarily knocking out electricity to some 2,600 customers. Drobik said a road was closed briefly while the balloon was cleared and an investigation was done.

The balloon fiesta, in its 44th year, attracts tens of thousands of spectators along with hundreds of pilots and chase crews from around the world. This year, 550 balloons are participating, including more than 100 special shapes that range from Darth Vader's helmet to a giant spotted cow.

Depending on the direction of the wind, it's not uncommon for balloons to drift south into more crowded areas of the city. Pilots look for clear spots to land in store parking lots, along neighborhood side streets or even in backyards.