[meteorite-list] Peekskill Meteorite Dents a 1980 Chevy Malibu in 1992

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 2009 09:45:03 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <200910091645.n99Gj32c021908_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091009/NEWSBLOG/910099937/-1/XML15

The Peekskill Meteorite dents a 1980 Chevy Malibu in 1992
Nashua Telegraph
October 9, 2009

We wonder if the company that insured the red 1980 Chevy Malibu coupe of
Michelle Knapp of Peekskill, N.Y., offered any kind of a "falling
celestial objects" clause. It would've been worth the expense on this
day in 1992, when Knapp's car was struck by the Peekskill Meteorite.

The Peekskill Meteorite was unique in that it was witnessed by thousands
of people, many of whom took pictures or captured the event on video.
There are no less than 16 different videos of the meteorite's descent.

The meteorite was first spotted over Kentucky and traveled over 700 km
(which took a mere 40 seconds) before landing. It flew apart into more
than 70 pieces, resulting in a sonic boom.

It was one of these pieces (weighing in at just over 27 pounds) that
collided with the left rear corner of Knapp's car, which was parked in
her driveway. The meteorite chunk took out the left corner of the trunk
and then some.

Police initially construed the incident as criminal mischief. Further
investigation of the scene by the fire department, who had been called
when it was discovered that the car's gas tank had been punctured,
turned up the meteorite chunk that had caused the damage.

Knapp's insurance company, it turned out, needn't have worried about how
to file a claim for such an incident. Knapp never had the car repaired,
opting instead to give it to R.A. Langheinrich Meteorites
<http://www.nyrockman.com/peekskill.htm>, which has exhibited it around
the world and continues to make the car available for display in museums
and similar institutions.
Received on Fri 09 Oct 2009 12:45:03 PM PDT