A drone crashed through the window of a sport utility vehicle Saturday afternoon in Eau Claire, WI injuring a 15-month-old child in the back seat.
“A drone basically came out of the air and ran into a rear passenger window of the vehicle, breaking out the window and injuring a 15-month-old passenger that had been in a car seat in the rear of that vehicle. That child sustained minor injuries,” said Eau Claire Police Officer Bridget Coit.
The broken glass and drone parts injured the 15-month old child. The child was treated at a local hospital.
A witness reported seeing the come out in about a 45-degree angle and crashing directly into the rear window of the vehicle. Police officers located the drone pilot, he was operating the drone from the parking lot of a nearby hotel when he lost control of his drone and subsequently crashed it. The drone pilot is cooperating with authorities.
The pilot told officers the drone was not responding to the controller. Authorities are still unsure what caused the drone to crash, whether it was a technical problem, user error or weather issue. The case has been turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for further investigation.
Luckily this accident didn’t end with a worse outcome. As drones become more popular, these types of accidents are becoming more common. Earlier this year, a drone hit a young boy in the face after it crashed over a park playground. A drone struck a woman in Salt Lake City when the pilot lost control of a drone. Drone pilots should always take the necessary precautions to make sure they are flying safe and away from cars or people.
Source: WXOW News
