A drone flying through a neighborhood on Thursday night crashed into the roof of a home of the White family. Jane White, who was outside talking with a friend, had actually seen the drone.
“I was looking up in the sky and we see the drone actually, you know, like, up there,” White told CBS2. “And when I came back around the corner, I heard it crash.”
She had no idea her house had been the scene of the accident. “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 and fire department responded to the scene and were able to recover the drone. Police said it is a Phantom model 2 with camera, which sells for $300 to $700.
White told CBS2 her primary concern was for safety of her children. “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.”
The son Ray White didn’t hear the crash because he was asleep, but he woke up after when he heard the commotion after the accident.
The He told CBS2, “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 drone operator violated FAA guidelines for hobby use of drones by flying at night and remaining clear of obstacles.
Police said the drone pilot called them and admitted he crashed into the home. Police intend to question the man, but whether he would receive a penalty was unknown as of Friday.
Drone accident statistics continue to mount. The drone cash at the U.S. Open earlier this month was a high profile example.
While FAA rules have been set up for safety, they are difficult to enforce.
