Boy Riding Cable Car Struck by Vehicle

Automobile traffic is supposed to give San Francisco's signature cable cars a wide berth -- and cable car riders hanging onto the sides would do well to stay close to the cable car's frame -- and here's why.

A boy riding a cable car was struck by a car's side mirror near Union Square on Wendesday, according to the San Francisco Examiner.

The cable car was riding on Powell Street at Sutter at around 4 p.m. when the automobile "veered into the cable car," according to Muni spokesman Paul Rose. The boy, 11, was hit in the torso by the car's side mirror.

The boy was treated at the scene. The car stopped, Rose said, and police as well as the SFMTA are investigating the incident.

The mishap halted service on the cable car line for a half hour, the newspaper reported.