Bowling ball takes bullet for teen

HARPER WOODS, Mich., Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Police in Harper Woods, Mich., say a bowling ball likely saved a 15-year-old boy's life by catching a bullet fired into the car he was riding in with friends.

Investigators said the teenager, identified by his first name Christopher, was riding in the car with a 12-pound bowling ball on his lap Monday when a sports utility vehicle traveling east on Interstate 94 flashed its lights at the car containing the teenagers and then someone inside the SUV began shooting, WDIV-TV in Detroit reported Tuesday.

One of the bullets penetrated the car and was stopped by Christopher's bowling ball, police said. The teenager said it was a lucky thing he had been holding the ball, as his friends had only decided to go bowling at the last minute after abandoning a plan to see a movie.

Police said a teenager in the back seat of the car was slightly injured when struck by a piece of plastic from inside the car.

The investigators said they are seeking five white males, ages 25 to 35 years old, in connection with the incident.