Woman Hit by Falling Drone at Seattle Pride Parade

Update 7/1/15: The man who was flying the drone has come forward, but details remain scarce.

The past week has seen festivities and parades all over the country following the gay marriage ruling from SCOTUS. As with most celebrations of this magnitude, people can get a little overzealous in their revelries.

Such was the case with a Seattle man who decided he would try to capture the parade in his local metropolis with a drone – only to lose control of said drone.

The drone fell from the sky and reportedly hit a 25 year old parade attendee.

Details are scarce but according to the reports, the woman was struck by an “18 square inch drone” and was treated by an off duty fireman who described her injuries as “not a gentle concussion.”

Local police are looking for the pilot who is described as “an unshaven man in his 20s.”

The FAA currently prohibits flying drones over crowds but there is little the administration can do to actually prevent such flights. As a result, the police will have a tough time identifying the man unless he comes forward to claim his drone.

While crashes like this are rare, they do happen and they are always highly publicized. Last year, a woman in Australia was struck by a falling drone while running in a triathlon and, more recently, a man crashed a small drone on the lawn at the White House.

Drones are quickly becoming a part of our lives but incidents like this put unnecessary impediments in the way of technological progress.

So go out and celebrate but please, leave your drone at home.