Cat in the Hat Balloon Hits Lamp Post, Injures Woman  In 1997, the "Cat in the Hat" balloon hit and broke a lamp post. A rogue piece of the metal fixture flew and hit a woman in the head, fracturing her skull, the New York Post reported at the time. She spent a month in a coma, and later sued Macy's for $395 million in damages.

Popeye Dumps Water on Crowd   In 1957, Popeye the Sailor Man's hat collected so much rainwater that it filled up and, well, it had to go somewhere... so it dumped onto unsuspecting parade-goers beneath it.

The Uncle Sam and Spiderman Incident of 2012

Who could forget this hilariously awkward and NSFC mishap from 2012? The night before the parade -- that's when they inflate the balloons and get them ready for the next day's festivities -- these two balloon pals shimmied together somehow, and Spider-Man's face accidentally got up close and personal with Uncle Sam's butt. It wasn't what it looked like -- but it did look like that.

Kermit the Frog Deflates

This one gives new meaning to the phrase "It's not easy being green." Hovering six stories high and 24-feet wide at his best, in 1985, the Kermit balloon suffered a rip in his belly region and began to deflate, causing him to sink down dangerously to the ground -- and the people holding onto his strings.

Superman's Arm Rips Off 

Also in 1985, the Superman balloon suffered a loss of limb. One of the balloon's arms ripped off, causing the remainder of the severed appendage to dangle loosely, its frayed edges blowing in the wind. 

Sonic the Hedgehog Injures Off Duty Cop

According to the New York Times, in 1993, the Sonic the Hedgehog balloon hit a lamp post at West 58th St. and Broadway. A piece of the lamp post fell and landed on off-duty Suffolk County police captain, Joseph D. Kistinger, breaking his shoulder.

Rex the Dinosaur Pops

In 1993, Rex the Dinosaur's nose caught a traffic light and ripped right open. But in case you were wondering, no, this is not Rex the Dinosaur from "Toy Story" -- he didn't make his Macy's parade debut for another two years. This Rex, who is reddish-orange color rather than green, is from the 1993 animated film "We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story."

Barney's Side Rips  

In 1994, Barney suffered a critical hit from a lamp post, tearing his side and deflating him. Another one bites the dust. 

M&M Balloon Collides With Street Light, Injures Two Sisters

In 2005, yet another collision occurred, this time with a street light and an M&M balloon. Parts of the street light broke and fell to earth, injuring two sisters, according to the New York Times.

SpongeBob Gets Punctured

In 2006, lamp posts once again had the last laugh when one came face-to-face with Nickelodeon's beloved under-sea dweller, SpongeBob. Though he is porous in theory, his balloon-form is sadly not immune to being punctured.