Car takes surprising leap in air

Zohural Hoque took a slight detour on his way home from West Philadelphia last night. Thinking he would just drive his car home to Bristol, Hoque instead ended up trapped in his car, balanced perilously on top of a parking meter and no-parking sign at 40th and Sansom streets. Hoque was merely attempting to back out of his parking place on 40th Street after visiting some friends. His car was skidding in snow, but when it finally got traction it flew across the road in reverse up onto the opposite sidewalk. Hoque managed to keep his wits about him. He just opened the driver-side door and stepped out -- despite the fact that his silver Honda Prelude was inclined on the meter and sign at a 45-degree angle. "Oh yeah, I was scared," Hoque said last night as the tow-truck began wrenching his car from the top of the smashed parking meter. Hoque had considerable help -- Philadelphia police cars, fire trucks and walking beat cops all converged on the tiny intersection at 40th and Sansom to do their part for Hoque. Most just stood around, though, watching as tow-truck crew worked to free Hoque's car. SEPTA trolleys weren't too happy about Hoque's little accident. The hodgepodge of emergency vehicles completely blocked the intersection and trapped SEPTA trolleys all along 40th Street Storeowners last night said they were thankful for the meters and fresh snow bank lining the street in front of their property. Hoque's car came just a couple of feet from crashing through the front window of Frank J. Malone and Sons, Inc., a maker of prosthetic devices. "I was about to go upstairs and I saw a back bumper through the front door," Mike Malone said."His car almost skyrocketed right through our front window." Bombay Cuisine Restaurant was also spared a run-in with Hoque's Honda when the parking meter stopped the car in its tracks. Satnam Singh, who works at the restaurant, said he has never seen anything like it before. "And I don't think I ever will," he added. "It's really too bad," Singh said. "Everybody I saw who watched it happen just stood around and laughed -- they didn't go over and help or anything." Besides wiping out a city parking meter and parking signs, a slightly dented rear bumper was the only other damage Hoque incurred. An hour after he had run his car up onto the sidewalk, Hoque, slightly shaken, got back into his car and drove away. "I think I'm gonna buy a [new] Honda now," Malone said.