Joshua Baer, founder and CEO of Austin-based startup accelerator Capital Factory, died Tuesday night in a plane crash on a highway in Laredo.
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The business jet was carrying six people when it struck Loop 20 and caught fire about 10 p.m., said the Federal Aviation Administration in a statement.
The plane, a Cessna 680A business jet operated by NetJets, struck a car, whose passengers were taken to a nearby hospital in stable condition, according to The Associated Press. Five officers were also treated for smoke inhalation.
After the plane hit the ground, about seven drivers abandoned their cars to assist the victims, according to footage of the crash’s aftermath. Two of them tried to break through the cockpit’s window by smashing it with a sledgehammer and a shovel. Most plane passengers were able to exit the jet on their own.
Baer, who was also a Texas Tribune board member between 2015 and 2017, was the only fatality.
The plane departed Tuesday evening from San José del Cabo, a city in the southernmost point of Baja California Sur, in the Mexican Pacific. It was bound for Austin, according to the FAA.
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This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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