One person was killed after a privately owned aircraft carrying six people crashed Tuesday night on Loop 20, according to the Laredo Police Department.
The aircraft crashed shortly before 10 p.m. near the City Hall Annex building on Loop 20, just before the Clark Boulevard exit.
Airport tower personnel alerted police that the aircraft was experiencing mechanical problems before losing communication with it, and shortly afterward, police received reports that it had crashed on Loop 20.
“What we have tonight is a tragic event,” LPD Public Information Officer Joe Baeza said.
Authorities confirmed six people were aboard the aircraft, though the identity of the person who died was being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Information on the conditions of the surviving occupants was not immediately available.
According to Baeza, part of the aircraft struck a vehicle traveling southbound on Loop 20 during the crash, though authorities could not immediately confirm which part of the aircraft was involved.
The occupants of the vehicle were taken to a local hospital and survived, though authorities did not immediately release additional information on their conditions.
Baeza said five LPD officers were treated for smoke inhalation after responding to the crash, some of whom entered the aircraft and helped remove survivors. They were taken to a local hospital and reported to be in stable condition.
Several Good Samaritans also stopped to assist at the scene in the immediate aftermath of the crash, according to Baeza.
Loop 20 was closed in both directions near Saunders Street and Clark Boulevard as emergency crews remained at the scene.
Baeza said the closure was expected to continue through the morning commute and could extend into Wednesday afternoon as authorities document and recover evidence across the crash scene, which could stretch across a large section of the roadway.
Aircraft fuel that spilled onto the roadway was also being contained by authorities.
The Laredo Fire Department was assisting with firefighting and fuel containment efforts at the scene.
The aircraft was not departing from Laredo International Airport, Baeza said. Authorities could not immediately confirm where it had originated or where it was headed. Its make and model were also not immediately available because the wreckage was still being reconstructed.
Baeza said FBI personnel were at the scene, while National Transportation Safety Board officials and other agencies were expected to arrive later.
Much of the information remained preliminary as authorities continued their work at the scene. Additional information will be released as it becomes available.
