# Uber Driver Says He Was Struck by Plane That Crashed on 405 Freeway



## BurgerTiime (Jun 22, 2015)

http://ktla.com/2017/06/30/uber-driver-says-he-was-struck-by-plane-that-crashed-on-405-freeway/
An Uber driver said his pickup truck was struck by a small plane that crashed on the 405 Freeway in Orange County on Friday.


Uber driver Blackstone Hamilton looks at his damaged truck after a plane crash on June 30, 2017. (Credit: Southern Counties News)

The crash occurred around 9:30 a.m. when a Cessna 310 had some kind of malfunction and the pilot tried unsuccessfully to return to John Wayne Airport.

The plane hit the southbound freeway in the area of MacArthur Boulevard. Its two occupants were hospitalized with traumatic injuries, authorities said.

Uber driver Blackstone Hamilton said his blue Toyota Tacoma pickup truck was spun around by the impact of the plane. He at first thought the truck was hit by a big rig.


A tow truck arrives to remove Hamilton Blackstone's truck from the 405 Freeway on June 30, 2017. (Credit: KTLA)

Speaking to a freelance news photographer, Hamilton said he had a passenger in the pickup when the truck was hit.

"Saw flames all around us," Hamilton said. "Essentially, I was just trying to regain control of my vehicle. At the end of that, checked my passenger, made sure he was OK and gave each other a hug - that we were still alive."

The truck has serious damage to both sides of its rear end.

Hamilton said the truck was pushed into the freeway's center divider.

Caltrans District 12 indicated that four to six vehicles were hit by the plane, but no one was injured.
Updated interview:
http://abc7.com/news/uber-driver-describes-moment-plane-clipped-his-car-on-405/2168859/


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## backstreets-trans (Aug 16, 2015)

So my first reaction was disbelief that Uber lets 2 door pickups on the platform. Who wants to pay to get crammed into the back of one of those. My second reaction is that so many drivers don't know all the risks we put ourselves through for pennies on the dollar.


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## jfinks (Nov 24, 2016)

Probably an off the clock Uber driver.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

BurgerTiime said:


> http://ktla.com/2017/06/30/uber-driver-says-he-was-struck-by-plane-that-crashed-on-405-freeway/
> An Uber driver said his pickup truck was struck by a small plane that crashed on the 405 Freeway in Orange County on Friday.
> 
> 
> ...


Cant even crash a plane without hitting an Uber nowadays !
SATURATION.


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## PrestonT (Feb 15, 2017)

jfinks said:


> Probably an off the clock Uber driver.


"Had a pessenger in the pickup when the truck was hit"



tohunt4me said:


> Cant even crash a plane without hitting an Uber nowadays !
> SATURATION.


Post of the Day


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## jfinks (Nov 24, 2016)

PrestonT said:


> "Had a pessenger in the pickup when the truck was hit"
> 
> Post of the Day


Bet that is a 1 star ride.


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## Telsa34 (May 7, 2017)

Well if he reports in Uber he's going to have to pay $1,000 deductible out of his own pocket and now that he's posted all over the news media that he drives for Uber he won't be able to report it to his own insurance company unless he has a commercial insurance policy.


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## Trafficat (Dec 19, 2016)

jfinks said:


> Probably an off the clock Uber driver.


More like a driver driving a vehicle that he wasn't approved to drive.

I bet Uber covers nothing and his insurance covers nothing.

Maybe the pilot's insurance will cover something though.


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## jfinks (Nov 24, 2016)

Trafficat said:


> More like a driver driving a vehicle that he wasn't approved to drive.
> 
> I bet Uber covers nothing and his insurance covers nothing.
> 
> Maybe the pilot's insurance will cover something though.


Yep for sure, shouldn't have been driving that. But the plane would have hit a 4 door car also. Unfortunate situation all around.


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## backstreets-trans (Aug 16, 2015)

Looks like the guy got really lucky. The video of the accident is scary.

http://abc7.com/news/uber-driver-describes-moment-plane-clipped-his-car-on-405/2168859/


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## jfinks (Nov 24, 2016)

He gonna be uber fired either way.


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## Jo3030 (Jan 2, 2016)

Scam.


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## uberdriverfornow (Jan 10, 2016)

"passenger" can simply mean a passenger friend, not in the sense of Uber passenger


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## geauxfish (Jun 10, 2016)

tohunt4me said:


> Cant even crash a plane without hitting an Uber nowadays !
> SATURATION.


Holy crap funny but true


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

jfinks said:


> Bet that is a 1 star ride.


For the plane passenger or for the uber


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## Jagent (Jan 29, 2017)

You can register any car as a 2nd vehicle. My two door muscle car was approved. Another driver on the forum registered a Corvette and Uber approved it.


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## backstreets-trans (Aug 16, 2015)

tohunt4me said:


> For the plane passenger or for the uber


Sounds like good samaritans pulled the plane passengers out and they'll survive. That's one amusement ride that they'll soon not forget.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Jagent said:


> You can register any car as a 2nd vehicle. My two door muscle car was approved. Another driver on the forum registered a Corvette and Uber approved it.


The truck does have back doors. Just have to open the front doors to open them.
Turning propellers can be scary.
Lucky for all things turned out as good as they did.



BurgerTiime said:


> http://ktla.com/2017/06/30/uber-driver-says-he-was-struck-by-plane-that-crashed-on-405-freeway/
> An Uber driver said his pickup truck was struck by a small plane that crashed on the 405 Freeway in Orange County on Friday.
> 
> 
> ...


Four to six vehiclles were hit by the plane.
One was an uber.
So, 1/4 to 1/6 of the vehicles on road are Uber ?
Driving around 50% of the time or more empty.
Soooooo
1/8 of Global Warming is caused by Uber !?!?


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## Trafficat (Dec 19, 2016)

Jagent said:


> You can register any car as a 2nd vehicle. My two door muscle car was approved. Another driver on the forum registered a Corvette and Uber approved it.


That's awesome. I think a pax might love a ride in a Corvette or a Mustang. Uber should approve any vehicle IMO. Pax should declare number of passengers when they make a ride request, and it should just ping vehicles with enough seats, and also have a luggage checkbox. If that's too complicated, the default check boxes could be 4 pax and luggage. If I pinged an Uber and I was by myself it would be awesome to get picked up by a corvette.


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## PrestonT (Feb 15, 2017)

tohunt4me said:


> The truck does have back doors. Just have to open the front doors to open them.
> Turning propellers can be scary.
> Lucky for all things turned out as good as they did.


Uber requires four fully and independently opening doors.


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## Christian Prenzler (Jun 19, 2017)

This is straight up crazy. I wonder if the driver is scarred from driving there or looks up at the sky more now...


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## Trebor (Apr 22, 2015)

PrestonT said:


> "Had a pessenger in the pickup when the truck was hit"
> 
> Post of the Day


They hugged each other. Someone is going to scream sexual assault later.



Trafficat said:


> That's awesome. I think a pax might love a ride in a Corvette or a Mustang. Uber should approve any vehicle IMO. Pax should declare number of passengers when they make a ride request, and it should just ping vehicles with enough seats, and also have a luggage checkbox. If that's too complicated, the default check boxes could be 4 pax and luggage. If I pinged an Uber and I was by myself it would be awesome to get picked up by a corvette.


Mustang? I would wait for them to start the trip then make them end it so I can give it a 1 star.


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## Trafficat (Dec 19, 2016)

Trebor said:


> Mustang? I would wait for them to start the trip then make them end it so I can give it a 1 star.


I'm not sure if you are serious or not.


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## Trebor (Apr 22, 2015)

Trafficat said:


> I'm not sure if you are serious or not.


As serious as Uber not doubling rates.


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## Trafficat (Dec 19, 2016)

What is wrong with a Mustang?


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## Jagent (Jan 29, 2017)

Trafficat said:


> That's awesome. I think a pax might love a ride in a Corvette or a Mustang. Uber should approve any vehicle IMO. Pax should declare number of passengers when they make a ride request, and it should just ping vehicles with enough seats, and also have a luggage checkbox. If that's too complicated, the default check boxes could be 4 pax and luggage. If I pinged an Uber and I was by myself it would be awesome to get picked up by a corvette.


My Camaro SS is approved, but I've never used it. No way anyone could fit in the backseat and I just know the first ping would be four, extra large pax. I could give a single pax a fun ride though... it runs high 11s, low 12s consistently at the local strip.


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## SuzeCB (Oct 30, 2016)

Telsa34 said:


> Well if he reports in Uber he's going to have to pay $1,000 deductible out of his own pocket and now that he's posted all over the news media that he drives for Uber he won't be able to report it to his own insurance company unless he has a commercial insurance policy.


Get it back from the plane's insurance.


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## mags2K (May 7, 2017)

jfinks said:


> Probably an off the clock Uber driver.


I can confirm that a 2 door pick-up truck similar to this one was recently at the Greenlight Hub in Chicago for inspection. I was surprised as well. Perhaps the 'grandfathered' policy allowed 2 doors for PAX pickups. Or the one that I saw was just for Deliveries. No idea.


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## OCBob (Jan 20, 2015)

backstreets-trans said:


> Sounds like good samaritans pulled the plane passengers out and they'll survive. That's one amusement ride that they'll soon not forget.


I heard the Uber driver pulled his rider to the side of the freeway as they dodged cars and got him to safety...

No tip.


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