4 injured when plane hits car as it crashes onto roadway

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE/Gray News) - Four people were injured when a small plane struck a car before crashing onto a road in Kentucky.

St. Matthew’s police said the crash happened at Breckinridge Lane and Kresge Way around 6:30 p.m. Friday.

Officials said the plane lost power as it was trying to land at Bowman Field.

Rick Tonin, with St. Matthew’s Fire, said the plane then began looking for “wide, flat surface to land” and came down near the intersection.

“When it came down through the intersection, it brought down all the traffic light infrastructure,” Tonin said.

Inside the plane was a student pilot and their flight instructor, according to the family of the flight instructor. They said he landed on the road in an attempt to avoid crashing into nearby homes.

St Matthew’s Police Chief Barry Wilkerson said the plane hit a car as it was coming down.

“I walk out, and there’s everybody standing around. You see airport officials, and fire department, cops, and then you see a plane, and I’m like, ‘Is that a car?’” nearby resident Hadley Grider said. “And I walked around, and I seen the windshield of the car missing, and I’m like ‘Wow, it’s mind-blowing.’”

Both the plane and car had two people inside at the time of the crash. All four were injured and transported to the hospital. Officials said they believe their injuries were non-life-threatening.

The family of the flight instructor on board said that he suffered a broken wrist, broken femur, and a gash to the neck, and was taken to surgery.

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