A small plane crashed and caught fire on a highway in Laredo, Texas, Tuesday night, leading to chaos as people exited their cars to desperately attempt to break the cockpit window and rescue those inside.
According to police, six people were on board, with one fatality reported. The crash occurred shortly after 10 p.m., as stated by Jose Baeza, an investigator with the Laredo Police Department.
No injuries were immediately reported among those in vehicles on Loop 20, the highway where the crash occurred. Both directions of the Loop have been closed, Baeza noted.
Online video footage shows the plane lying on its side, having collided with a highway barrier.
Zayra Garza, an esthetician, was driving her coworkers home when she encountered the crash scene.
As she neared the site, she began recording video and then parked her car across from the burning wreckage.
Inside the plane, she observed someone attempting to break the cockpit window to escape.
As more people exited their vehicles to assist, they also tried to smash the window from the outside.
Garza’s husband joined the efforts, and she saw the plane’s door open.
Three individuals, who appeared to be teenagers, emerged, followed by someone who seemed to be the pilot.
Another crew member attempted to pull out a person who seemed unconscious.
“It looked like part of a movie. I was in shock,” Garza said.
“What was worrying me was the fire,” she added. “I was concerned that it could have just exploded at any time.”
