Monday, January 22
Squad car squished, no reported injuries



FENDER BENDER OR OMEN?
Too bad the Ravens didn't have that Tampa six-foot rule as they embarked for their trip to the city that distances strippers from customers.

"It was unbelievable," defensive tackle Tony Siragusa said of the collision. "All those people downtown, that was exciting. Then, all of a sudden, one bus hit the horse while we were leaving, and then there was a car crash. It just stays exciting in Baltimore."

That it does. Certainly, Siragusa was exaggerating about the horse part, but the police car accident was true. No person was injured. The car was a different story.

"The bus had a New York emblem on the side and the driver was irate," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "I don't want to classify it as a fender-bender, but in military terms, I think it's called collateral damage."

A television traffic copter caught all of the action on tape. Because of the hype of a Super Bowl, reporters covering Monday wondered if this spelled bad omen for the Ravens.

"Just for the guy who got hit," Billick said. "I imagine his day is pretty well shot."

Of course, Siragusa seemed more concerned about the horse.

"The horse had a tire mark on his butt," Siragusa said.

-- John Clayton, ESPN.com

BALTIMORE -- A bus carrying the Baltimore Ravens to the airport for their flight to the Super Bowl collided with a police car Monday, but no injuries were reported.

The bus was in a convoy taking players to Baltimore-Washington International Airport for their afternoon flight to Tampa, Fla., where the Ravens play the New York Giants on Sunday.

The players had just left a rally in the city's Inner Harbor that drew thousands of purple-clad fans.

As the bus moved into the far left lane of Interstate 395 near PSINet Stadium, a city police cruiser sped up next to it and was forced into the center median.

The cruiser was sandwiched between the bus and median for a few seconds before coming to a stop. A hubcap could be seen rolling away.

The bus eventually pulled right and continued on its way to BWI for the Ravens' charter flight.

City police officials said the officer in the car was not injured but the cruiser had to be towed from the scene.

"Apparently, everyone's OK," Agent Martin Bartness said.




AUDIO/VIDEO video
 The Ravens' team bus collides with a police cruiser en route to the airport.
avi: 1184 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1