A plane landing at Newark Liberty International Airport on Sunday struck a street light and a tractor-trailer on a nearby highway, injuring the truck driver, according to New Jersey State Police.
The United Airlines Boeing 767 took off from Venice, Italy, and reached speeds of more than 160 miles per hour as it flew over the New Jersey Turnpike outside the airport, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24.
New Jersey State Police spokesman Charles Marchan said in a statement that a preliminary investigation showed the landing gear and a tire on the underside of the plane “collided with a pole and a tractor-trailer. The pole then struck a Jeep.” “The tow truck driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to an area hospital.”
Dashcam video from the truck showed the driver driving down the road as the sound of the aircraft engine grew louder. Suddenly, the plane’s landing gear tires struck the truck, shaking it and sending shards of glass flying.
Chuck Paterakis, senior vice president of transportation for Schmidt Bakery and a partner at H&S Family of Bakeries, told CNN that Warren Boardley, a truck driver from Baltimore, was transporting bakery products north on the turnpike to a Newark Airport warehouse when the accident occurred.
Beaudry was cut on his arm by broken glass but was not seriously injured and was able to pull over safely, Patrakis said, adding that Beaudry was expected to be released from the hospital later Sunday.
Patrick Oyulu was driving on the highway when he saw the low-flying plane and felt a huge gust of wind blowing over him.
“It just came right in front of the truck… all I saw was smoke and debris,” he told CNN. “I think (the truck) was trying to get out of its path or something, but they were backed into a corner.”
United said Flight 169 was carrying more than 200 passengers and 10 crew members.
“The aircraft landed safely and taxied to the gate normally, and no passengers or crew were injured,” United said in a statement. “Our maintenance teams are assessing the extent of damage to the aircraft.”
United said: “We will conduct a rigorous flight safety investigation into this incident and our crew has been suspended as part of the investigation process.”
The agency announced that the National Transportation Safety Board will send an investigator to Newark and will analyze the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder as part of the investigation.
Runway 29, where the plane landed, begins less than 400 feet from the edge of the busy New Jersey Turnpike. It’s not always used, but when wind conditions are right it can see a lot of landings, which can scare drivers when planes fly low over the highway.
According to air traffic control communications captured by LiveATC.net, the pilot and air traffic control did not appear to realize that the plane struck a light pole upon landing.
While other aircraft continued to land on the same runway, the 767 was instructed to taxi to the gate.
This story has been updated.
CNN’s Amanda Musa, Jim Rogers and Sneha Dhandapani contributed to this report.
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