North Carolina authorities arrested a driver Thursday who reportedly drove through airport fencing and onto the tarmac before crashing into the terminal.
At approximately 7 p.m. March 9, a vehicle “breached the fence line” at Wilmington International Airport and made its way onto the tarmac, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office told WECT News. After engaging with deputies, the driver reportedly crashed the vehicle through the doors and windows of the terminal, allegedly injuring a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer.
BREAKING NEWS: The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that a man drove a car through an entrance to the Wilmington International Airport terminal.
— WECT News (@wectnews) March 10, 2023
The compact vehicle sustained significant damage in the incident, according to a photo of the scene shared by WECT anchor Frances Weller Wect. The front end of the car appears to be completely crumpled and the windshield seems to be missing, the picture shows. (RELATED: Cars Crash Into Building, Causing Massive Collapse And One Death)
“Don’t know if [the driver is] intoxicated, had a medical condition or drove in intentionally. There’s an investigation right now. Passengers are being held on the plane for now,” Wect reported on Facebook.
The incident had “minimal impact” on airport operations, which officials said would back in full swing by Friday morning.”[The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office] responded swiftly, detained the individual, [and] is coordinating with partner agencies,” airport officials tweeted Thursday night.
Though police have not yet publicly identified the driver of the vehicle, he faces a number of state and federal charges, WECT reported.
The TSA officer sustained minor injuries and was transported to the hospital for medical care, a TSA spokesperson told the outlet.