Dashcam video captured the dramatic moment a private jet crash-landed on a Texas highway, plowing through street lights and striking a car before erupting into flames.
Bystanders and emergency crews rushed toward the burning aircraft after it went down on Texas State Highway Loop 20 in Laredo at about 10 p.m. Tuesday, according to officials and witness accounts.
The plane slid along the roadway, tore through light poles and then broke apart on the concrete median, where it caught fire.
People who saw the crash immediately tried to help those on board. Two bystanders used a sledgehammer and a shovel to force open the aircraft’s door, helping rescue several victims from the wreckage.
Authorities said Wednesday morning that two people had died in the crash. Four others who were on the plane were pulled from the wreckage and taken to hospitals for treatment.
Video from the scene shows the aircraft engulfed in flames after the impact split it in two, as witnesses worked frantically to reach those trapped inside.
Separate footage also showed firefighters dousing the wreckage with fire extinguishers as passengers escaped, with first responders forced to move away from the flames and cough sporadically due to the heat.
Witness Zayra Garza, who shared footage of the aftermath to social media, said she was shocked by the horrific scenes, describing the crash site as ‘like part of a movie.’
‘What was worrying me was the fire,’ she told the Associated Press. ‘I was concerned that it could have just exploded at any time.’
Shocking dashcam footage captured the moment a private jet crash landed on a Texas highway and smashed through street lights and a car in a deadly wreckage
Witnesses to the fiery plane crash leapt into action and rescued several victims from the aircraft, with two bystanders using a sledgehammer and shovel to pry open the aircraft door
Heroic bystanders and first responders raced towards the burning plane after it crashed on Texas State Highway Loop 20 in Laredo, Texas on Tuesday night
Investigators said the aircraft departed from Los Cabos International Airport in Mexico at 6.19pm Tuesday, and was bound for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport when it crashed around 10pm.
The identities of those on board the aircraft have not been disclosed by authorities, and the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Texas authorities initially said on Tuesday night that one person died in the wreck, before this toll was updated to two deceased on Wednesday morning.
Jose Baeza, an investigator with Laredo Police Department, said one vehicle traveling on the highway was also partially struck by the aircraft, and at least five first responders were treated for smoke inhalation.
Dashcam footage also showed the aircraft sliding across the road following the crash landing and taking out several street lights, as authorities said the Loop 20 section of the highway would remain closed in both directions for some time.
Investigators from the FBI and several other agencies were expected to deploy to the scene, Baeza said, as he urged anyone with video or dashcam of the scene to reach out.
Investigators said the aircraft departed from Los Cabos International Airport in Mexico at 6.19pm Tuesday, and was bound for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport when it crashed around 10pm
The identities of those on board the aircraft have not been disclosed by authorities, and the cause of the crash remains under investigation
NetJets said in a statement that the crash involved one of its aircraft and it is working with authorities. NetJets is owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway and allows people to buy part ownership in private jets.
The crash was the third such aviation disaster in as many days across the US, following a B-52 military aircraft crashing at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Monday, killing eight people.
That tragedy followed a crash on Sunday in Missouri, when 12 people were killed when a skydiving plane crashed soon after takeoff.
