A private jet departed the Mexican resort city of San Jose del Cabo on the evening of June 16 bound for Austin, Texas. Minutes later, a routine flight would turn into a fiery highway disaster that left one person dead and forced strangers armed with little more than sledgehammers and fire extinguishers to risk their own lives to save those trapped inside.
According to ABC, the jet was operated by NetJets, a company owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway that allows customers to purchase shares of private aircraft. Preliminary reports suggest the crash may have been caused by mechanical problems aboard the plane.
The pilots were reportedly attempting an emergency landing at an airport in Laredo, Texas. Instead, the aircraft came down on a highway, knocking over several utility poles before finally grinding to a halt in the darkness, surrounded by sparks and flames.
The fuselage came to rest against a concrete barrier, while the tail section broke away from the aircraft. Inside, the pilots remained trapped.
At that same moment, a passing motorist named Ivan Franco spotted the wreckage. From a distance, he initially thought it was a car crash. Without hesitation, he pulled over and ran toward the scene.
As he got closer, Franco realized he was looking at a plane. He rushed back to his truck, grabbed a sledgehammer and three fire extinguishers from his rescue kit, and sprinted back toward the burning aircraft.
“At that moment, you don’t think much about what to do, because I knew the plane could explode since it was on fire,” Franco said. “My idea was to try to break the windows because the pilots hadn’t come out yet.”
Other motorists also stopped and joined the rescue effort, rushing toward a scene many others might have fled. Together, they did what they could to help the survivors before emergency crews arrived.
Police and firefighters soon reached the crash site and secured the area. According to Laredo Police Chief Mike Rodriguez, the actions of those ordinary bystanders likely prevented an even greater tragedy.
“The officers and the good Samaritans that went to the scene, our firefighters that responded — I do also want to commend each and every one of them,” Rodriguez said.
The sole fatality was Joshua Baer, a prominent figure in the Texas technology startup community. Three teenagers and two pilots who were aboard the jet survived, though all suffered injuries. A truck driver whose vehicle was struck during the crash was also injured. Authorities have not yet released further details on the conditions of those hospitalized.
Another witness, Laredo resident Zayra Garza, described the scene as something out of a movie. “It looked like part of a movie. I was in shock,” Garza said. “I was concerned that it could have just exploded at any time.”
Later reports confirmed that a dog traveling on the jet also survived the crash and is receiving treatment at a local animal shelter.
Laredo Mayor Victor Treviño praised the rescue effort and reflected on how narrowly the community avoided an even deadlier outcome. “It was nothing short of a miracle that this tragedy did not become a mass fatality event,” he said.
Published: Jun 18, 2026 10:30 am