Philadelphia Airport Closed After Jeep Crashes Through Gate Onto Airfield

Philadelphia International Airport was briefly shut down Thursday morning after a black Jeep Cherokee drove through a gate onto the airfield.

Philadelphia ABC affiliate WPVI-TV reported a 24-year-old male was in police custody after crashing his vehicle into the unmanned gate around 10 a.m. Witnesses said he had been parked outside the gate and seemed to be waiting to time the crash as one flight came in for a landing. As the plane approached, he accelerated through the gate and onto the airport property.

Police said officers stopped the vehicle before it made its way onto the runway. The man, whose name has not yet been released, was apprehended and taken to airport police headquarters.

An initial police search of the vehicle turned up no explosives or dangerous materials.

All air traffic was temporarily shut down as a precaution. Local Fox affiliate WTXF-TV reported flights were taking off again by 11:52 a.m.