Fire trucks lineup outside LaGuardia Airport in New York on Monday in New York. Ryan Murphy / AP
The vehicle involved in the overnight collision with a passenger plane at LaGuardia was a Port Authority “Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle” that was en route to another matter when it was struck, a spokesperson said.
The vehicle “was responding to a separate incident,” the Port Authority official said without adding details about the assignment.
“Emergency response protocols were immediately activated,” the spokesperson added. “The Port Authority Police Department is on scene along with the agency’s chairman and executive director.”
LaGuardia’s subsequent closure around midnight was to “facilitate the response and allow for a thorough investigation,” the spokesperson said.
The Port Authority Police Department will provide future updates, according to the statement.