Loop 20 highway in Laredo was the site of a terrifying plane crash late Tuesday night, as a business jet en route to Austin crashed and skidded down the highway before catching on fire.
One of the six passengers aboard the plane died in the crash, according to Jose Baeza, an investigator with the Laredo Police Department. Five of the six passengers survived after being rescued by civilians and first responders on the scene, who rushed to the plane as it laid on its side. Video of the crash shows individuals rushing toward the crashed plane and subsequent fire with shovels and sledgehammers, which were used to smash the cockpit’s glass and prop open the plane door before passengers exited the plane. Smoke billowed from the plane throughout the rescue efforts, causing coughing fits from multiple first responders.
“It looked like part of a movie. I was in shock,” Zayra Garza, a witness of the crash, told the Associated Press. “What was worrying me was the fire. … I was concerned that [the plane] could have just exploded at any time.”
The plane in question departed from San José del Cabo in Mexico just after 6 p.m. CT on Tuesday, with a presumed landing in Austin late Tuesday night. The plane then experienced “mechanical faliure,” per Laredo International Airport Director Gilberto Sanchez, and crashed roughly two miles south of Laredo International Airport. NetJets, the company owning the plane in question, released a statement on the crash late Tuesday night to confirm news of the crash.
“On behalf of the entire NetJets organization, I wanted to reach out to you personally to share difficult news,” NetJets Chairman and CEO Adam Johnson wrote. “I can confirm that a NetJers aircraft, tail number N523QS, was involved in an accident in Laredo, Texas, overnight. … My first and most immediate concern is for our Owners, guests and Crewmembers onboard and their families. Our crisis response and family support teams are mobilized, and we have people on our their way to the scene as I write this. We are committed to providing every resource available to those affected.
“This is a heartbreaking moment for our entire NetJets family—our Crewmembers, our staff, and our people on the ground. I want you to know that safety is, and has always been, the foundation of everything we do.”
Loop 20 highway is closed in both soutbound and northbound directions as of Wednesday morning, per the Laredo Police Depratment. The closure is expected to last for most of Wednesday, and traffic will be diverted to nearby access roads.