BLACKFOOT, Idaho, July 16 (UPI) —
An Idaho pilot, who was attempting to drop 3,000 ping-pong balls on attendees of Blackfoot Pride Days, missed the mark and dropped the prize-winning balls on the interstate instead.
After the balls ended up on Interstate 15, event organizers called off the prize-redemption portion of the day.
Most of the balls were redeemable for candy, but some of them could have been redeemed for gift certificates that were worth up to $100.
"It was ridiculous," said Blackfoot resident Sarah Taylor told the Idaho State Journal. "Kids and adults were actually running out on the freeway to get the balls."
Police were able to restrain the crowd and prevent injuries after hundreds of the balls ended up in the median between two lanes of the highway.
"You could hear them popping as people ran over them," Taylor said. "People needed to realize that’s a dangerous situation. I’m glad nobody got hit and there was no accidents."
This was the first time that the pilot who handled the drop this year was given the job, and it will also likely be the last.
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