Bystanders rush to rescue passengers after small plane crashes on Texas highway, killing 1

(CNN) — A small jet carrying six people crashed on a highway in South Texas on Tuesday evening, killing one passenger as bystanders and emergency workers rushed to rescue people from the fiery wreckage, according to authorities and video from the scene.

The plane crashed on Laredo’s Loop 20 highway, shutting down traffic in both directions and strewing debris across multiple lanes as flames broke out. The aircraft came to rest on its side, with the fuselage straddling a concrete divider and another part of the jet landing on a highway ramp directly below it.

It also hit a moving vehicle as it came down, Laredo police spokesperson Jose Baeza said.

Josh Baer, a fixture in the Austin, Texas, technology and startup scene, was killed, according to a statement from the company he founded, Capital Factory.

“He dedicated his life to helping entrepreneurs turn their ideas into reality,” the statement read. “His impact on the city of Austin, the state of Texas, and the countless founders he supported cannot be overstated.”

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said Baer’s impact was “incalculable.”

“Josh has been one of the most significant figures driving innovation and entrepreneurship across America,” Cruz said. “In Texas, he made our state a global leader.”

The five survivors from the plane were two pilots and three teenagers, Laredo Police Chief Miguel Rodriguez said, and they were taken to a hospital. In the wreckage, firefighters discovered and rescued “a small pet,” Fire Chief Guillermo Heard said.

At least one person from the vehicle was also taken to a hospital, Baeza said, and police said Wednesday they’ve since been released.

Police did not identify the victims or provide details on injuries.

Bystanders help rescue passengers

Video shared by a witness from the scene showed emergency responders trying to crack open the plane’s windshield as authorities and bystanders helped several people out of the burning aircraft. Some were seen walking away after escaping.

Zayra Garza said she and her husband were driving on Loop 20 when they saw what they thought was a tractor-trailer accident.

“We saw the flames. … When we were getting closer, we saw the nose of the aircraft and we’re like, ‘What? This is an aircraft?’”

“I just couldn’t believe there was a plane in the middle of the loop and it was (broken) in half,” she said.

She said she and her husband were among the first to arrive, and her husband hopped over the median and raced to help the people trapped inside the plane.

They were banging on the windshield and trying to get out the door, she said, but it was too heavy.

Law enforcement and bystanders ran over and helped them push the door up, then hold it.

“When they opened the door one of the first things the kids said was, ‘Help me, help me!’” Garza said.

Three young people quickly jumped out, Garza told CNN.

“I was very proud of everybody in the community that helped out because it looked like everybody was not even thinking about themselves but thinking about getting those people out safe,” she said.

Plane was originally bound for Austin

The plane, a NetJets-operated Cessna Citation Latitude business jet, departed San José del Cabo, Mexico, around 6:18 p.m. local time and was bound for Austin, Texas, before it was diverted toward Laredo, according to flight data from FlightRadar24.

Authorities responded shortly before 10 p.m. after the plane reported mechanical issues to the local airport tower, Baeza told reporters. The plane lost contact with air traffic controllers before it crashed on the highway, he said.

FlightRadar24 data shows a steady, controlled descent toward Laredo International Airport until the signal cut out around 600 feet, roughly 2.5 miles short of the runway.

The aircraft experienced a mechanical failure before crashing, Laredo International Airport Director Gilberto Sanchez told CNN affiliate KGNS.

NetJets said it is working with local law enforcement to confirm details and has deployed crisis response and family support teams to the site.

“Our immediate concern is for the well-being of our Crewmembers, our passengers, and their families during this time,” the company said in a statement.

Federal Aviation Administration records show the plane was built in 2016. The aircraft has a wingspan of 72 feet and can cruise faster than 500 mph.

CNN has reached out to Laredo International Airport for more information.

Crash closed a busy highway

Five officers were also transported to a local hospital for treatment of injuries sustained during the rescue, Laredo police spokesperson Jose Espinoza told CNN.

Rodriguez said the tragedy could have been greater under different circumstances, given the late hour.

“The city is very lucky that this occurred at the time that it occurred, and that no other citizen got hurt during this accident,” he said. “There was a hotel a couple of feet away from the crash site.”

Loop 20 is a major corridor for the city of Laredo, and federal authorities have authorized police to start clearing the scene, but he cautioned the investigation would take time.

“The loop is not going to be open anytime soon,” the police chief said.

Federal agencies, including the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA, have been notified, Baeza said. Officers with the FBI responded to the scene to provide support and assistance, the agency said.

The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation, the agency said, and investigators are expected to arrive at the site later Wednesday, the agency said.

CNN has reached out to the NTSB for more information.

An NTSB investigation usually results in a preliminary report within 30 days, and a final report determining the probable cause of an accident in 1 – 2 years.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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CNN’s Aaron Cooper, Dianne Gallagher and Sara Smart contributed to this report.