Mythbusters on set mishap damages Dublin, CA home, Sienna Minivan

[Zabo]

Uh.. whoops?

One of the zany experiments staged by the "Mythbusters" television show nearly turned into a suburban tragedy Tuesday afternoon in Dublin when the crew fired a homemade cannon toward huge containers of water at the Alameda County Sheriff's Department bomb disposal range.

The cantaloupe-sized cannonball missed the water, tore through a cinder-block wall, skipped off a hillside and flew some 700 yards east, right into the Tassajara Creek neighborhood, where children were returning home from school at 4:15 p.m., authorities said.

There, the 6-inch projectile bounced in front of a home on quiet Cassata Place, ripped through the front door, raced up the stairs and blasted through a bedroom, where a man, woman and child slept through it all - only awakening because of plaster dust.

The ball wasn't done bouncing.

It exited the house, leaving a perfectly round hole in the stucco, crossed six-lane Tassajara Road, took out several tiles from the roof of a home on Bellevue Circle and finally slammed into the Gill family's beige Toyota Sienna minivan in a driveway on Springvale Drive.

That's where Jasbir Gill, 42, who had pulled up 10 minutes earlier with his 13-year-old son, Manvir, found the ball on the floorboards, with glass everywhere and an obliterated dashboard.

"It's shocking - anything could have happened," Gill said after the van had been taken away as evidence, along with the cannonball.

"Crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy," said Sgt. J.D. Nelson, a spokesman for the Alameda County Sheriff's Department. "You wouldn't think it was possible."

He said the television crew was incredibly unlucky that the cannonball flew through Dublin, but "tremendously lucky that it didn't seriously injure or kill somebody."

Nelson said "Mythbusters," a show on the Discovery Channel, had used the bomb disposal range without incident while shooting portions of more than 50 episodes over the past seven or eight years. The show does not pay a set fee but has donated to the department and given it exposure.

One of the terms of the deal, Nelson said, was that the show take out insurance in case of a mishap.

The show is based in San Francisco. Hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman use science experiments to confirm or debunk rumors or myths. Reached Tuesday evening, Savage said, "I can't talk right now," before hanging up.

This isn't the first time projectiles in the area have hit homes. In 2007, a stray .223-caliber submachine gun bullet, apparently fired during a training exercise at Camp Parks Army base in Dublin, shattered the bedroom window of a San Ramon home.

[motorhead]

So was the myth busted?

[2010SSRSM6]

Something tells me that this myth will never see a tv screen.

[CamaroSkooter]

Given the popularity of the show, I imagine it probably will see plenty of tv screens. Heck, it may even be one of their most popular shows. People will want to watch and see how they handle the situation.

The show has insurance. The house will be fixed, and probably upgraded a bit. The minivan will be replaced. The bomb range will probably install further safety measures around the perimeter of their property. I also imagine the house and car owners will also be paid a generous settlement, all while this will be used as an example on their show to indicate exactly why they say that the viewers should not try any of the stuff seen on their show at home.

[dolt45]

"I can't talk right now" is probably the most intelligent thing Adam has ever said. Too bad it wasn't on camera.

I'm a big fan of the show but sometimes I think those folks are nuts.

[Brokinarrow]

Originally Posted by dolt45

"I can't talk right now" is probably the most intelligent thing Adam has ever said. Too bad it wasn't on camera.

I'm a big fan of the show but sometimes I think those folks are nuts.

That's what makes it so good though!

[toesuf94]

Originally Posted by motorhead

So was the myth busted?

What myth? That people are awake at 4:15 in the afternoon? (The entire family was asleep at 4:15 PM...wtf?) or that Toyota Siennas cannot stop a projectile?

The really funny thing (since nobody was hurt, it is funny) would be the looks on their faces when the projectile did NOT stop...that whole "OH SH*T!!! WHERE DID THAT GO?!?!" moment...kind of like kids scattering when a window gets broken. LOL.

[Brokinarrow]

Originally Posted by toesuf94

What myth? That people are awake at 4:15 in the afternoon? (The entire family was asleep at 4:15 PM...wtf?) or that Toyota Siennas cannot stop a projectile?

The really funny thing (since nobody was hurt, it is funny) would be the looks on their faces when the projectile did NOT stop...that whole "OH SH*T!!! WHERE DID THAT GO?!?!" moment...kind of like kids scattering when a window gets broken. LOL.

I'm sure they were quite freaked out at the time

[Zabo]

Originally Posted by CamaroSkooter

The bomb range will probably install further safety measures around the perimeter of their property.

This is actually the most important thing to probably take away from the incident. It was the county bomb range and highlighted a glaring flaw that could have happened if the show wasn't doing a myth there.

The county could have been disposing of some sort of explosive and the same thing could have happened. They do this stuff there for a reason and it's even been said on TV several times that they've been kicked out of locations just for incidents such as these.

However with the money the show donates as well as the coverage the department gets from the show.. I'm sure the two are gonna work together with the community to definitely make things safer. Hyneman and Savage are the Mister Wizards of the 21st century, and hold that with high regard..

Love JD Nelson's remarks on the whole thing. He's like the 7th member of the team along with Frank Doyle when he's needed. Not to mention he probably fired the thing if it wasn't the trio (sounds like a Tory/Grant/Kari project..)

[WoodyzSSbee]

Anyone know what they used to fire the "ball"? A freaking battleship with max powder charge? How far was total travel????

[Brokinarrow]

Originally Posted by WoodyzSSbee

Anyone know what they used to fire the "ball"? A freaking battleship with max powder charge? How far was total travel????

I hope this episode gets aired, I wanna see what they were using

[dolt45]

Originally Posted by Brokinarrow

I hope this episode gets aired, I wanna see what they were using

I want to see the looks on their faces. I also want to see how many bleeps it takes to cover up what they say. :upset:

[HopeRidesAlone]

The look on their faces are probly like they were when they did the instant convertible where it jumped the hill and they didnt know what was on the other side

[coolman]

News Link.
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_19490275