FLIGHT DIVERTS AFTER SICK PERSON UPSETS PASSENGERS

Concerns about a sick passenger on a New Jerseybound United Airlines flight Sunday afternoon prompted pilots to divert the plane to Denver International Airport where three passengers disembarked.

Denver police assisted at the airport gate, police spokesman Kurt Barnes said, where the passengers left on their own.

An incident aboard the plane that piqued health concerns “occurred while in-flight. The FBI has jurisdiction over that … The FBI was there,” Barnes said.

“There were three people who decided not to continue on the flight. They did depart the plane voluntarily. They decided to seek their own means of transportation to get to their original destination,” he said.

“A person was sick on the plane and these people became upset.”

DIA officials received a notice at 1:08 p.m. that United Flight 1562, was diverting, airport spokeswoman Alex Renteria said. After the passengers disembarked, the plane departed again at 2:06 pm. to Newark, Renteria said.

The flight began at the Eagle County Regional Airport west of Vail.

FBI spokeswoman Amy Meyer said “the issue was deemed a customer service issue.”

State health officials monitoring the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus said that, “as far as we know, nobody involved had COVID-19.” United Airlines officials did not respond to queries.

Eagle County files emergency declaration. Eagle County filed a local disaster emergency declaration with the state after a woman in her 50s tested positive for the coronavirus, officials announced Saturday.

The declaration, which is administrative, is intended to open up funding and resources from the state and federal governments, according to Eagle County in a news release. The declaration is scheduled to last until Thursday.

County commissioners will review the declaration Tuesday and determine if it should be extended.

“While there will likely be more cases of COVID19 in Eagle County, the declaration does not mean we think our community is less safe than anywhere else affected by the virus,” said Kathy Chandler-Henry, chairwoman of the commission.

Pedestrian struck, killed inDenver. A pedestrian was struck and killed by a vehicle in Denver Saturday, according to the Denver Police Department.

The incident was reported before 8:30 p.m. at the intersection of Colorado Blvd. and East Ninth Avenue, according to police. The victim has not been identified and it was not clear if the driver would face charges.

Additional details were not immediately available.