I went to check my fuses and left the box cover off of the box next to the fuse box (it became detached before I bought my '82 300SD)

I needed to run inside (I have my car on the street in NY, bold, I know) and closed the hood without thinking about the fuse box cover.

The passenger side latch is closed completely. The driver's side is not, but can be pushed down into the safety latch, but cannot close all the way (maybe the fuse box top out of place is causing this?)

I tried to pull the manual hood release lever inside the car, no luck, the passenger side latch didn't pop up to the safety latch position. I eventually broke the manual lever off of its housing pulling, but there is still tension when I pull.

I tried to use a screwdriver at the passenger side latch, where the pull cable attaches, and it wouldn't release the latch into the safety position.

Does anyone have any info on what may be happening? I got some advice to have someone sit on the hood, to try and force the passenger side into closed position, and to pull on the lever (that I now have clamped between a pair of vice grips) until I hear it release.

Anyone think this'll work? What will.

As an aside, my car cannot start right now unless I access the hood and bridge a pair of wires on the passenger side, due to a broken neutral safety switch, a whole other can of worms, but, I'd like to avoid being towed 6 blocks to my mechanic just to have him pop the thing open, if I can)

thanks, digman