LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — After safely making an emergency landing on a Nevada highway Saturday morning, a small plane was hit by an SUV, Nevada State Police said. Three people were injured.
The plane’s pilot, an instructor pilot and the driver of a Nissan SUV were taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life threatening, according to the State Police Highway Patrol’s Southern Command.
A DA20 two-seater airplane experiencing mechanical issues landed on the left shoulder of U.S. 95, near Lee Canyon Road, State Route 156, at about 9:40 a.m., State Police said.
Once the plane landed, a Nissan SUV hit the wing of the plane, damaging the windshield of the SUV, according to police.
A witness to the crash, flying above U.S. 95, said the SUV was traveling fast when it hit the plane.
Kevin King, 24, of North Las Vegas, was flying above the scene with an instructor pilot when both saw the collision, he said.
“North Las Vegas air traffic control told us to take our plane there immediately and make sure the pilots of the accident aircraft were OK,” King said a few hours after the collision.
After making radio contact with the grounded pilots, who were not injured in the landing, King said both exited and were standing behind the right wing of the aircraft.
After about 5 to 10 minutes, King said, the SUV approached, and hit the left wing of the plane. “What happened is the collision caused the plane to kick back and the right wing then hits both the instructor pilot and the other pilot,” King said.
Several vehicles were able to pass the plane on the road before the SUV hit it, King said.
The crash was still under investigation, state police said.