CBS2 Exclusive: Linden, N.J. Family Shocked When Drone Crashes Into House
LINDEN, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A drone with a video camera plowed into the roof of a home in Linden, New Jersey on Thursday, and questions remained a day later day about who was operating it and why.
As CBS2's Mark Morgan reported exclusively, Jane White was outside talking to a friend Thursday evening when she was stunned to see a drone flying through her neighborhood.
"I was looking up in the sky and we see the drone actually, you know, like, up there," White said. "And when I came back around the corner, I heard it crash."
In fact, it crashed right onto their house.
"When I got here, my daughter said 'Ma, the drone landed on the house', and that's when I called the police," she said.
Police units and the fire department responded and removed the drone, which police identified as a white Phantom model 2 with a camera attached. It is worth $300 to $700.
The White family told CBS2 the incident took place about 9 p.m. Thursday, and the drone landed right up near the top of the fire escape and some dormer windows.
White's son, Ray, was asleep when the drone struck the house. But the ensuing commotion jolted him awake.
"It was a big crash, they said, but I didn't hear it," he said. "But I came out and saw everything that happened. It's crazy."
Jane White said she was aware of the drone crash incident just over two weeks ago at the US Open, and never imagined her life would be interrupted by another remote-controlled aircraft.
"I just wanted to be safe, you know, because they say they can carry anything," she said. "Like, you know, I didn't know if they might have explosives. And I have children, so that was my main concern -- safety."
Added Ray White: "It's just part of life now I guess, because they're accessible. You know, so, it's just weird. It's really weird."
The White family is certainly relieved that everyone is safe, but they also seemed resigned to the fact that drones are likely here to stay, Morgan reported.
Police were looking late Friday for the operator of the drone. They said the operator called them, admitting the drone had crashed into the Whites' house.
In recent weeks, private drones have also caused problems several times at area airports.
