A series of mysterious drones have been spotted in New Jersey in recent weeks, and an unverified video posted on social media allegedly shows the aftermath of a drone crash.
The FBI and local police are investigating the drone sightings, which have been reported nightly in several New Jersey counties since November 18—with the exception of Thanksgiving Day.
The recent video, filmed in a car at night, appears to show flames and smoke emerging from the side of a road. “There was like a craft that crashed out of the sky. It was crazy. I don’t know what’s going on,” someone said in the recording.
It is not clear who originally posted the video, but it has been reshared across YouTube, TikTok and X, formerly Twitter. One X user wrote on the platform that the original video had been deleted from YouTube.
Newsweek contacted the Pine Beach Police Department, where the incident is reported to have happened, and the New Jersey State Police for comment via email.
While authorities have acknowledged the drones’ recent presence, there has been no official confirmation that one crashed.
Some social media accounts also shared a Facebook post by the satirical site Jersey Coast Emergency News, which said state police was searching for a drone that had crashed in the Pine Barrens. On social media, the site describes itself as “New Jersey’s #1 Source For News, Laughs, Satire,” and it shares satirical posts along with legitimate news updates.
Drones have reportedly been spotted above Picatinny Arsenal, a military research and manufacturing facility in Rockaway, and President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster.
The brightly lit and low-flying drones have been described by eyewitnesses to be significantly larger than those flown by hobbyists, The New York Times reported.
Joseph Orlando, the chief of the Florham Park Police Department in Morris County, said in a statement on Wednesday that drones had been spotted above critical infrastructure, such as water reservoirs, electric transmission lines, police departments and military installations.
“While we currently have no evidence or information to indicate these drones pose an imminent threat at this time, their presence appears nefarious in nature,” he wrote.
