Two Boston-area residents were hit Monday after a drone swooped out of control as they watched a Memorial Day parade in Marblehead, Massachusetts, CBS Boston's
WBZ news radio reported.
Scot Yount, a former television newsman, declined treatment for a cut on the back of his head and neck, which occurred as the drone's propellers struck him on its way down. Another spectator, hit in the shoulder, also declined medical aid.
The town of Marblehead is 18 miles north of Boston.
Yount told WBZ that he was upset because only moments earlier, he had been carrying his 1-year-old daughter on his shoulders. Only minutes before the drone crash, he said, he handed the child off to his wife.
The law does not require permits to fly drones, and no charges will be filed, Police Chief Bob Picariello told WBZ.
Yount thinks laws must be tightened to protect folks like himself.
"That guy (the drone operator) has to think about where he flies the thing and what could have happened if he hit my daughter. I’d be pretty upset,” Yount said.
As their use grows in popularity, drones should be regulated to ensure safety, some operators who enjoy the technology for its fun value say.
More than 2,000 people responded to the Federal Aviation Administration's proposed new drone rules before a comment period ended in late April,
PC World reported.
The FAA is moving to finalize those rules, but a lawsuit was filed in April against the agency by the Electronic Privacy Information Center amid concerns that the rules don't contain personal privacy protections,
RT.com said.