Federal Charges Added For Man in PHL Airport Gate-Crashing Incident
By Mike DeNardo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Chadds Ford, Pa. man who allegedly rammed his SUV through an airport gate yesterday now faces federal charges in connection with the incident.
A federal complaint charges 24-year-old Kenneth Richard Mazik with using a weapon -- in this case, his Jeep Cherokee -- to disrupt the services of Philadelphia International Airport.
The complaint says as an airplane approached for landing, Mazik crashed his Jeep through a locked gate and drove onto Runway 9R at 100 miles an hour (see previous story). The plane, 500 feet above the runway, was diverted and put into a holding pattern while police chased the SUV.
The complaint says that as a result of the chase, 75 aircraft couldn't land and 80 planes couldn't take off on time.
Mazik also faces local DUI charges. Philadelphia police say he remains under treatment at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
