A United Airlines Boeing 767 arriving from Venice struck a light pole and a tractor‑trailer on Sunday afternoon as it came in to land at Newark Liberty International Airport, injuring a lorry driver on the New Jersey Turnpike and triggering a federal investigation into what went wrong.

The United jet, operating as Flight 169, was on final approach to Newark at around 2 p.m. local time when it made contact with the pole over the southbound carriageway, according to state police and aviation officials.

Initial accounts from New Jersey State Police and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey set out a troubling chain of events beneath the flight path. A preliminary investigation found that the United jet's landing gear and underside hit a light pole positioned near the New Jersey Turnpike, sending part of the structure into a tractor‑trailer travelling south.

The driver of that lorry was taken to hospital with non‑life‑threatening injuries and has since been discharged, state police said.

Indashcam footage shared with NBC News, a sharp whizzing noise is heard, followed by the sound of shattering glass inside the cab as debris from the pole strikes the vehicle.

Dashcam footage shows a truck being struck as a United Airlines flight from Italy approached the runway at Newark Airport on Sunday.Based on the preliminary investigation, New Jersey State Police said that "the underside of the plane collided with a pole and a tractor-trailer."…pic.twitter.com/m9NF4TepFN

Chuck Paterakis, who oversees transportation for Schmidt Bakery, said the vehicle belonged to the company and confirmed that his driver was injured by glass in his arm and hand. Describing the outcome as a near miss, he told the broadcaster: 'It's a miracle. It could have been traumatically worse.'

Police also reported that the pole then struck a Jeep driving on the Turnpike, although it was not immediately clear whether the Jeep's occupants were hurt.

Port Authority officials later said airport staff inspected the runway area for debris and that 'normal operations were quickly resumed.'

The United jet itself, a Boeing 767‑400, sustained what Port Authority police described as minor damage. United Airlines said its maintenance teams were inspecting the aircraft and that it would 'conduct a rigorous flight safety investigation into the incident.'

Source: International Business Times UK