A bakery truck driver who narrowly survived a collision with a United Airlines jet at Newark Airport believed he was about to be decapitated in the seconds before impact. Warren Boardley Jr., a 39-year-old driver for Baltimore-based H&S Bakery, was traveling along the New Jersey Turnpike on Sunday afternoon when United Flight 169 clipped his vehicle during its final approach.
Driver's Fear and Reaction
"He described fear, total fear that he wouldn't walk away from it," his father, Warren Boardley Sr., told reporters during a press conference on Tuesday. "He said he seen a flash and it made him duck and put up his hands." Dashcam footage from inside the cab shows Boardley Jr. glancing toward his passenger side just as the Boeing 767-400 struck the tractor-trailer.
The impact sent the truck crashing into a concrete barrier, while the aircraft also knocked down a nearby light pole. Boardley Jr. suffered blunt-force trauma to the head and is reportedly "sore all over" from the force of the impact.
Injuries and Aftermath
Family attorney J. Wyndal Gordon noted that while injuries seemed minimal initially, the driver is being evaluated for "closed-head trauma" and acute emotional distress following the traumatic event. Boardley Sr. noted that if the truck had been traveling just one mile per hour faster or slower, the outcome likely would have been fatal.
Flight Details
The United flight was arriving from Venice, Italy, with 221 passengers and 10 crew members on board. At the time of the incident, the pilots were attempting a "visual landing" on Runway 29. This specific runway is known among pilots for being difficult due to its shorter length, nonstandard guidance lights, and frequent crosswinds.
Legal Action and Investigation
Attorney Gordon indicated that the family is seeking answers from United Airlines and airport officials. "Planes don't just ordinarily and routinely hit 18-wheelers traveling along the New Jersey Turnpike," Gordon said, adding that while they expect negligence was involved, they are gathering facts before pursuing litigation. Despite the collision, the aircraft managed to land safely on the runway.
