Plane drops 3,000 ping pong balls on US expressway

It was raining ping pong balls on an expressway in Idaho last Saturday.

A plane was supposed to air drop 3,000 ping pong balls onto an awaiting crowd at a Blackfoot Pride Days event. But the pilot misjudged the wind, and the balls landed on the expressway​ instead.

There was a mad rush as children and parents scrambled onto the busy roads to retrieve the ping pong balls, which could be exchanged for sweets and gift certificates.

Organisers quickly called off the event and assured participants that the prizes would still be handed out, Mail Online reported.

They were later given to the children. 

Dangerous situation

Idaho State Journal reported Blackfoot resident Sarah Taylor as saying: "It was ridiculous. Kids and adults were actually running out on the freeway to get the balls."

She added: "You could hear them popping as people ran over them (with their cars). People needed to realise that's a dangerous situation. I'm glad nobody got hit and there were no accidents."

It was probably supposed to turn out something like this.

The annual giveaway event has been taking place for years, but the pilot doing the drop this year was new.

The pilot wasn't paid to make the drop. He volunteered his services and his plane for the event.

Police aren't pressing charges for the lapse, but said they would work more closely with the organisers next year.

Sources: Mail Online, Idaho State Journal