Private jet crashes on Texas highway, killing one and injuring others

Drivers on Loop 20 in Laredo slammed on their brakes and rushed toward a burning private jet after it dropped onto the highway near the Texas-Mexico border. The NetJets-operated Cessna Citation Latitude struck a vehicle as it came down, then came to rest against a barrier, turning a busy roadway into a crash scene in seconds.

One person died in the wreck: Joshua Baer, the founder and CEO of Austin startup accelerator Capital Factory. Five others survived the crash, including three teenagers and two pilots. Police said the aircraft had six people on board when it went down late Tuesday night, June 16, 2026, shortly before 10 p.m.

The flight had taken off from Los Cabos, Mexico, and was headed to Austin. The crew reported mechanical issues and low fuel minutes before the crash, and the aircraft was still trying to reach Laredo International Airport when it hit the highway. That sequence has put immediate scrutiny on how a regional flight emergency became a public roadway disaster, and how quickly a commercial corridor can become a danger zone when an aircraft loses control over civilian traffic.

First responders and bystanders pulled people from the wreckage, and officials said several passengers were already outside the plane by the time firefighters arrived. Five police officers were treated for smoke inhalation and later released. The jet fire and spilled fuel forced extensive road closures on Loop 20, and police said cleanup would take time because of debris and jet fuel on the pavement.

Local leaders described the outcome as a near-miracle. Laredo Mayor Victor Treviño said it was a miracle the crash did not become a mass-fatality event, and Laredo International Airport director Gilberto Sanchez credited police, firefighters, and ordinary bystanders for helping save five lives under hazardous conditions. The crash also drew condolences from Texas political and tech leaders, including Sen. Ted Cruz, Rep. Lloyd Doggett, and Rep. John Carter, as the Austin startup community mourned Baer’s death.

The Federal Aviation Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation were reported to be investigating. Beyond the loss of one life and the injuries to five others, the crash has renewed attention to emergency readiness on busy roadways, where split-second public action can save lives but cannot substitute for the systems meant to keep aircraft out of traffic corridors in the first place.