Imagine driving down the highway, singing along to the radio, when the shadow of a United Airlines Boeing 767 suddenly eclipses your windshield. For Warren Boardley Jr., a delivery driver for H&S Bakery, this nightmare became a reality on Sunday, May 3, 2026.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!While approaching Newark Liberty International Airport, Flight 169 from Venice descended far below its intended path, leading to a heart-stopping collision with Boardley’s truck.
A Split-Second Survival
Dashcam footage from the cab tells the story of a routine drive turned into a scene from an action movie:
- The Roar: The footage shows Boardley singing just seconds before the cabin is filled with the deafening roar of jet engines.
- The Impact: The plane’s landing gear and fuselage clipped the top of the truck, shattering the windshield and showering Boardley in glass.
- The Aftermath: In what many are calling a miracle, Boardley maintained control and pulled the truck over. His family later recounted that he truly believed those were his final moments.
The Investigation
While Boardley walked away with only minor cuts, the implications of the incident are significant:
- Safety Record: The NTSB has officially classified this as an accident due to the structural damage the aircraft sustained.
- Crew Status: United Airlines has pulled the pilots from service as investigators look into why the jet was flying at such a dangerously low altitude over the New Jersey Turnpike.
- Zero Fatalities: Despite the terrifying nature of the crash—which also involved a light pole hitting a nearby Jeep—no one on the ground or among the 231 people on board was seriously injured.
It’s a rare “wrong place, wrong time” scenario that, by all accounts, should have ended in tragedy. Instead, it remains one of the most incredible survival stories in recent aviation history.
