Drivers who came upon the burning plane, which was nearly sheared in half and tipped on its side, captured dramatic rescue scenes on video or rushed toward the aircraft on foot to help. Two people came running with a sledgehammer and shovel, which they used to strike the cockpit glass and try propping open the plane's door.
The plane crashed on the Loop 20 highway near the Texas-Mexico border shortly after 10 p.m., said Jose Baeza, an investigator with the Laredo Police Department. It was unclear if the person who died was on the plane or the ground.
Dashcam footage posted on social media showed the aircraft careening down the highway, taking out a light post before coming to a stop. It came to a rest not far from the Laredo International Airport.
"It looked like part of a movie. I was in shock," said Zayra Garza, an esthetician who was driving her co-workers home when she came upon the crash.
People attempt to pull passengers out of a plane after it crashed on a highway on June 16, 2026, in Laredo, Texas. Photo by AP
