A tragic runway collision at LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night has reportedly claimed the lives of two persons after an Air Canada passenger aircraft struck an emergency vehicle responding to a separate incident.
The aircraft, operated by Jazz Aviation on behalf of Air Canada, was completing its landing when it collided with a Port Authority aircraft rescue and firefighting truck at approximately 11:40 p.m., according to officials.
Preliminary reports indicate the plane, a Bombardier CRJ-900 operated as Air Canada Express Flight 8646 from Montreal, was travelling at about 30 miles per hour at the time of impact.
Authorities confirmed that two occupants of the emergency vehicle, a sergeant and an officer, sustained broken limbs and are currently in stable condition at a hospital.
No other serious injuries have been reported among passengers or crew.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey stated that the fire truck involved was an aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle staffed by police personnel responding to an earlier incident on the airfield.
Jazz Aviation disclosed that 72 passengers and four crew members were on board the flight, though it noted the figures remain subject to confirmation based on the manifest.
Following the crash, operations at the airport were temporarily halted, with the Federal Aviation Administration issuing a ground stop as emergency crews responded to the scene.
Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board have launched investigations into the circumstances surrounding the collision.
