[bloodrayne]

Man, 66, Killed Accidentally By Sledgehammer Wielded Against Bat

Meadville, Pennsylvania - A man was accidentally killed by a sledgehammer his son-in-law was swinging at a bat that had flown into the home they shared, police said.

Francis V. Mercier, 66, of East Mead Township, was hit in the head Friday by the three-pound hammer as his son-in-law, D. J. Delancey, was trying to kill the animal with it.

Delancey and his wife had moved into Mercier's home a few years ago, neighbors said.

Delancey accidentally struck Mercier, who was standing behind him, about 1 a.m. Friday, police said.

Results of an autopsy performed Saturday were not immediately available. But police and Crawford County Coroner Patrick McHenry said the death appeared to be an accident.