You hear people say, "Timing is everything." While that’s generally true, timing can also work against you. For example, there’s a news story in the Boston Globe about Eric Brack, an 18-year-old high school graduate.

Had Eric been driving just a tiny bit faster or a tiny bit slower, his day would have been normal — and that would have been a good thing. But Eric’s timing was perfect for a fateful day — and that’s a bad thing.

Eric was driving his Chevy Tahoe west on route 135 in Natick, MA, when an underground explosion heaved a 100-pound manhole cover 25 feet into the air directly in the path of Eric’s SUV.

You read correctly — a manhole cover! The 100-pound disk cleared the car’s hood and crashed through the windshield, breaking Eric’s jaw and arm and causing other serious injuries. The missile then broke both the front and rear passenger-side seats before finally landing in the SUV’s cargo area.

Eric was airlifted to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston where he was listed in critical condition.

"How do you figure a thing like this?" a police lieutenant asked. "I mean, you’re driving down the street and you’re looking out for other cars, for kids on bikes, and for joggers. But this!"

As police investigated the accident scene, they were told by one witness that "there was a loud explosion, after which flames shot 25 feet into the air." The underground explosion caused a one-hour blackout for some 3,000 residents in the neighborhood.

"The whole thing is not supposed to happen," said a utility spokeswoman. "It’s extremely rare to have an explosion in a manhole, but to have one powerful enough to lift a manhole cover is especially rare."

The Globe reported that a rash of similar explosions plagued the utility three years ago. One of those explosions injured a pedestrian, while another injured a bus driver in the Jamaica Plain suburb of Boston. Still another explosion incinerated a Jeep Wrangler and damaged nearby vehicles.

The Globe said Eric’s family declined to talk to the news media and neighbors were advised by the family not to comment on the incident.