A New Jersey man was arrested Thursday after a drone he was controlling crashed into the Empire State Building in New York City.
Police said the man, identified as Sean Nivin Riddle, was attempting aerial filming when he lost control of the drone and it crashed into the 40th floor of the building before coming to rest on a landing several floors below,
WNBC-TV reported.
No injuries or damages were reported, and investigators told the TV station that they didn’t think the crash was intentional.
Security guards at the Empire State Building called police after Riddle, who is in his late 20s and from Jersey City, entered the building and asked them for help,
The New York Times reported.
Riddle was charged with reckless endangerment and avigation in and over the city,
Reuters reported.
Federal, state and local officials are grappling with ways to better regulate unauthorized drone flights, Reuters said. A similar incident brought reckless endangerment charges against a public school teacher in September when a drone crashed into the stands at the U.S. Open tennis match.
Riddle apparently posted about Thursday’s incident on Twitter.
Twitter users shared a mix of criticism and support.
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