Plane Crashes Into Car On Freeway During Busy Rush Hour Traffic

A small Piper Cherokee airplane crash-landed on a busy highway and then ran into a Kia Soul in Minnesota, injuring both the pilot and the driver, according to CBS News. Police say the accident happened around 10:30 a.m. on November 28 in the southbound lanes of Highway 81, about six miles northwest of Minneapolis.

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The Piper was approaching Crystal Airport when it lost power, and the pilot decided to make an emergency landing about 2.5 miles northwest of the runway. On its way down, the plane ran into a number of power lines, and eventually, it booped the Soul.

CBS News spoke with a first responder who commended the pilot’s actions, despite ruining a Kia driver’s day.

“The fact that [the pilot] impacted one vehicle and was able to put the aircraft down… is probably a testament to his skill as a pilot, Shawn Conway, Brooklyn Park Fire Chief, told CBS News.

Here’s how the conversation between the pilot and air traffic control went down before the landing:

“Did you lose power?” said an air traffic controller.

“I don’t think I have power. I can’t make it to the runway,” said the pilot.

The tower then tells other planes to get out of the way.

“If you can just circle where you are now. We have an emergency. I’ll let you know when you’re able to come in,” said the air traffic controller.

Later, an airborne pilot tells the tower what happened on the ground.

“Contact, he’s on the highway,” said another pilot.

“He’s on Highway 694? 81?” said the air traffic controller.

“I believe that would be, one second, that would be 81,” said the other pilot.

According to KIMT3 News, the 23-year-old pilot was alone in the plane and was treated at the scene. The 32-year-old Soul man was alone in his car. He was taken to the hospital for minor injuries.

Now, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.