Drone Slams Into Truck Outside New Jersey Refinery

LINDEN, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- The FBI and local police are investigating after a drone fell out of the sky and crashed into a truck in New Jersey on Wednesday morning.

As CBS2's Christine Sloan reported, of particular concern to authorities is that the incident happened on a road just outside a Phillips 66 refinery in Linden.

The driver of the truck apparently got out and had words with the operator of the drone, who took off, investigators said.

John Victor Jacobson, head of New Jersey-based Drone Service Systems, said he cannot think of a good reason to fly one of these air crafts in such a sensitive area.

Drones are only allowed to fly 400 feet in the air and there are restrictions around key infrastructures like refineries nuclear facilities and airports. Beyond that, there are no clear guidelines on recreational drone use.

"You could be taking pictures if you're a terrorist of something that, a vulnerability they might strike at," Jacobson told WCBS 880's Levon Putney.

Sloan reached out to the FBI, which would not say if it is questioning anyone in connection with the incident.

There are no federal guidelines to criminally charge anybody with operating a drone. But as Homeland Security officials have told CBS2 this week, anything becomes a concern, especially if they believe anyone is surveilling an area.

Right now, there is no credible threat to New Jersey, Sloan reported.

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.