South Texas motorists use sledgehammers, shovels to rescue survivors of fiery plane crash

LAREDO, Texas - A twin-engine business jet carrying six people crashed onto a major Laredo highway and erupted in flames Tuesday night, killing one person and sparking a frantic rescue effort as passing motorists rushed toward the burning wreckage to pull survivors to safety.

Texas plane crash

What we know:

The Cessna Citation Latitude twin jet, operated by private aviation company NetJets, went down shortly before 10 p.m. along Loop 20 near the Texas-Mexico border, according to authorities and flight tracking data.

Dashcam footage captured the dramatic final moments as the aircraft careened down the highway, striking a light post before slamming into a barrier near Laredo International Airport. The impact nearly sheared the plane in half, ripping the tail from the fuselage and leaving the jet tipped on its side.

Witnesses described a scene of immediate chaos as drivers left their vehicles to help.

Zayra Garza, a local motorist who came upon the burning wreckage, captured video showing civilians rushing toward the plane with a sledgehammer and shovel, desperately striking the cockpit glass and trying to prop open the aircraft’s door.

Inside the cabin, passengers could be seen trying to smash the windows to escape the advancing flames. The video shows several bystanders managing to pry the main door open, allowing three passengers and a pilot to rush out. A crew member and a firefighter who arrived on the scene with a ladder then worked through smoke to pull out the remaining passengers.

Laredo Police Department Investigator Jose Baeza confirmed that one of the six people aboard the aircraft died in the crash. No injuries were reported among people on the ground, though five responding police officers were hospitalized for smoke inhalation.

What's next:

In the wake of the disaster, federal investigators have assumed control of the crash site, forcing an extended closure of the city's main traffic artery. The Laredo Police Department announced that Loop 20 will remain closed for most of the day between Saunders Street southbound and Highway 359 northbound. Northbound closures are being enforced starting as far back as Cuatro Vientos Road.

Local police are redirecting traffic to surrounding streets, noting that access roads near Clark Boulevard are heavily affected. Law enforcement has publicly requested that anyone with dashcam or cellphone video of the crash upload it to the department's digital evidence portal to assist federal agencies with the investigation.

While a definitive cause has not yet been determined by federal authorities, Laredo International Airport Director Gilberto Sanchez told local television station KGNS-TV that the aircraft had experienced a mechanical failure prior to the crash. Aviation data provider FlightAware reported that the jet had departed from Los Cabos International Airport in Mexico at 6:19 p.m. Tuesday. It was headed to Austin, Texas.

NetJets, a fractional aircraft ownership company owned by Berkshire Hathaway, confirmed in a statement that one of its aircraft was involved and stated they are fully cooperating with investigators.

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