‘God was looking after them’: Bakery truck driver sings happily on morning drive, then United Airlines flight slams into him

A bakery truck driver was cruising along the New Jersey Turnpike this past Sunday afternoon, just going about his day and singing along to his favorite tunes, when a United Airlines plane suddenly slammed into his vehicle.

The incident, reported by the NY Post, serves as a jarring reminder of how close these massive aircraft get to everyday traffic on their final approach to Newark Liberty International Airport.

The footage captured by a dashcam inside the H&S Bakery truck is truly something else. You can see the driver looking happy and relaxed, totally unaware that he was about to be part of a terrifying aviation incident. He was belting out a song when the distinct whistling sound of the incoming United Airlines Flight 169 suddenly cut through the air above him. 

The video shows the driver glancing to his right just as the jet’s landing gear made contact with his truck’s window, sending glass flying everywhere. It’s a miracle he walked away from that with only minor injuries.

It is a startling watch

According to Chuck Paterakis, a co-principal at H&S Bakery, it is hard to wrap your head around how everyone involved managed to escape such a serious collision. As Paterakis put it, “To me, that everybody on that plane, everybody and the driver, God was looking after them, there’s no doubt.” He added, “If we did that scenario again, I don’t know if anybody could’ve survived that.”

Per the NY Post, the flight itself, a Boeing aircraft from Venice, Italy, managed to land safely on Runway 29. This specific runway runs perpendicular to the highway, which explains why planes are often seen flying at such a low altitude, just feet above the cars on the Turnpike before they touch down. 

While the sight of a plane clipping a light pole and a truck is the stuff of nightmares, United Airlines confirmed that none of the 221 passengers or 10 crew members on board were injured during the landing. The plane reportedly taxied to the gate normally after the incident.

The aftermath of the collision was quite messy for the local infrastructure. New Jersey State Police reported that the plane’s underside and landing gear hit a light pole, which then toppled over and landed on a Jeep traveling nearby. Thankfully, the damage was minimal, but the situation could have easily been much worse for everyone on that highway. 

The response from aviation authorities was immediate. The National Transportation Safety Board, as noted by The Hill, announced that it has launched an investigation into the incident. The Federal Aviation Administration is also conducting its own investigation into how the flight struck the light pole while preparing to land. 

In the meantime, United Airlines has stated that the entire flight crew has been removed from service pending the outcome of these safety investigations. The airline’s maintenance teams are currently evaluating the damage to the aircraft to figure out exactly what happened during that final descent.

It is worth noting that this is not the only incident United Airlines has dealt with recently. Just last week, a flight reported a possible midair collision with a drone near San Diego. In that instance, the plane landed safely, and the maintenance crew found no damage after a thorough inspection. Recently, United also faced backlash for a mystery leak.

We are all lucky that this story didn’t have a much more tragic ending. The investigation will be rigorous, as the aviation industry looks to understand how such a close call could have occurred on such a busy flight path. 

For now, the focus remains on the safety of the passengers and the recovery of those involved in the collision on the ground.