The "crookedest street in the world" became the wettest street in San Francisco. It happened right around 1 p.m. when someone did what a lot of people do on the very well known stretch of road. They stopped to take a picture. It looked like a big fountain going off on the edge of a garden half way down Lombard hill, but this was not a welcome addition to the sights that attract so many to this landmark.
The driver of the car that hit the hydrant was driving down the street when the car in front of him stopped suddenly to take a picture. He did not have room to stop and rather than rear end the car in front, he drove his silver sedan drove into the garden and hit the hydrant. The 27 percent-grade became a flume of water rushing down the hill until it got to Dennis Calvert's house.
"Well, I think the first floor is pretty well flooded out and then the basement, which is right underneath it, which has some good storage areas and things like that, are pretty well damaged," he said.
Firefighters pumped water out of the lowest of the buildings three apartments. Calvert's property was apparently the only building on the street that was flooded. "I think it's just the nature of the way we put this beautiful little brick seat here. The water hit it and bounced into the place you know, I think that's kind of what happened," he said.
Calvert is not living at the house, but has relatives staying there. "I've got to get a big gigantic vacuum," he said laughingly.
Calvert took the whole incident pretty well which may be good news for the driver of the car that hit the hydrant. He told ABC7 he is a tourist from out of town and has driven down Lombard Street 20 times. This time, he got a ticket from the police and his rental car company will have something to say about his car's bumper.
