A small aircraft plunged onto a highway in Laredo, Texas, igniting a blaze on Tuesday night, sparking panic as bystanders abandoned their vehicles to desperately try to shatter the cockpit window and rescue those trapped inside.
According to police reports, six individuals were aboard, resulting in one fatality. The incident occurred shortly after 10 p.m., as confirmed by Jose Baeza, an investigator from the Laredo Police Department.
At present, authorities have not reported any injuries among motorists on Loop 20, the affected highway, which is currently shut down in both directions.
Footage circulating online depicts the aircraft lying on its side, having collided with a highway barrier.
Zayra Garza, who works as an esthetician, encountered the chaotic scene while she was driving her coworkers home.
She began shooting video as she approached the scene and then stopped her vehicle across from the crippled jet, which was on fire.
She saw someone inside the plane trying to break the cockpit window to escape.
Soon, people got out of their vehicles to try to smash the window from the outside.
Garza’s husband jumped out of their vehicle to help and Garza then saw the door of the plane open.
She said three people who looked to be teenagers rushed out, followed by someone who appeared to be a pilot.
Another member of the crew tried to pull from the plane a person who seemed to be unconscious .
“It looked like part of a movie. I was in shock,” Garza said.
“What was worrying me was the fire,” she said. “I was concerned that it could have just exploded at any time.”