Drone crashes into a crowd of thousands at TNT’s Boston Celtics NBA party
A drone used by TNT for pregame coverage of the Boston Celtics’ NBA opener crashed during an opening watch party Tuesday night, injuring two people, sending one to the hospital.
Police said the drone was flying between two trees when the operator accidentally hit a light pole around 7:30 p.m., according to local reports, causing it to land in the crowd where thousands had gathered to celebrate the return of the NBA.
The Federal Aviation Administration has since confirmed that they are investigating the incident. The drone was apparently operated by CNN, which is owned by the same Warner Bros. Discovery network as TNT.
TNT’s live opening night show aired from City Hall Plaza in Boston, featuring Ernie Johnson, joined by Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley.
Yousef Kobeissi, who was hit by the drone, told Boston 25 News: ‘I hear a loud noise, it sounds like a banging noise, suddenly I feel something hitting my head here.
Thousands of people attended TNT’s NBA opening show in Boston, where a drone crashed
There was tremendous excitement in the city as the Celtics, NBA champions, started the new season
‘I was very scared at first because there was a loud noise and then I felt something sharp hit my head and then I heard the woman next to me screaming and it looked like she was going to fall.’
Another injured person, Derek Scrima, suffered two lacerations from the incident and told the news station: ‘I was completely blindsided.
“It was scary because I thought, ‘I might as well have cut off my two fingers.'”
TNT acknowledged the accident in a statement reported by Boston.com: ‘Unfortunately there was an incident involving a drone and fans attending the event tonight.
“The medical and security personnel on site immediately investigated the situation. We are currently investigating further and wish everyone involved the best of luck.’
The Celtics are the reigning NBA champions, and fans who couldn’t get a ticket for Game 1 against the New York Knicks headed to City Hall Plaza instead.
Starting around 4:30 p.m. on the day, the crowd began to gather, with many Celtics fans wanting to arrive early to watch on the big screens as their team raised the banner to commemorate title No. 18 before the Knicks game started.
Fans gathered in droves as TNT took to Boston’s City Hall Plaza for opening night
The event also featured musical performances by Shaboozey and Benson Boone before the television broadcast began.
As for the game itself, the Celtics recorded an impressive 132-109 victory over the Knicks.
The Celtics are back in action on Thursday evening against Washington Wizards.