Truck driver injured when commercial jet’s landing gear strikes tractor trailer on New Jersey Turnpike

A truck driver was hurt after his rig was struck by the landing gear of a commercial jet making a landing at the Newark airport on Sunday. 

The incident happened at around 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 3rd along the New Jersey Turnpike just outside of the Newark Liberty International Airport. 

According to Fox Business, Flight 169 was attempting to land at the airport after flying out of Venice, Italy when the bottom of the plan and its landing gear struck a light pole and a tractor trailer on the roadway during its descent. The impact caused the tractor trailer to overturn and the truck driver was injured. The downed light pole also struck a Jeep on the roadway. 

“Upon its final approach into Newark International Airport, United flight 169 came into contact with a light pole,” United said in a statement to FOX Business. “The aircraft landed safely, taxied to the gate normally and no passengers or crew were injured.”

United says that the plane is being inspected for possible damage, and all crew members on board at the time of the incident have been temporarily removed from service. 

The truck driver was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The details of his injuries or damage to the truck have not been released. 

“The crash remains under investigation, and no additional information is available,” New Jersey State Police told FOX Business.

“The agency has directed United Airlines to secure and provide both the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder to support the investigation. A preliminary report outlining the facts and circumstances of the event is expected within 30 days,” NTSB wrote in an email.