Strangers Rush to Save 5 Lives in Texas Highway Plane Crash

When Zayra Garza came upon a burning plane split nearly in half on a Laredo highway Tuesday night, she watched strangers transform into heroes in real time.

A business jet carrying six people had just crashed on Loop 20 near the Texas-Mexico border shortly after 10 pm. The aircraft had careened down the highway after departing Los Cabos, Mexico, taking out a light post before slamming into a barrier and catching fire.

Inside the cockpit, someone desperately tried breaking the window to escape. That's when drivers began pulling over and running toward the flames.

Two people came sprinting with a sledgehammer and shovel, frantically striking the cockpit glass. Others rushed to help prop open the aircraft door as thick smoke poured from the fuselage.

"It looked like part of a movie. I was in shock," Garza said as she filmed the rescue. Her husband jumped from their vehicle to join the effort.

The door finally opened. Three teenagers rushed out first, followed by what appeared to be the pilot. Another crew member struggled to pull out an unconscious passenger as flames continued burning.

A firefighter climbed into the smoke-filled cabin using a small ladder while others sprayed water on the wreckage. Rescuers called for rope as several people used rods to hold the plane door open, repeatedly darting away to catch their breath between coughing fits.

Despite the danger of explosion with fire spreading across the aircraft, no one left. They stayed until every survivor was out.

Five people were rescued alive from the wreckage. Five officers were treated for smoke inhalation after breathing heavy smoke during the rescue. One person died in the crash, though authorities haven't confirmed if they were on board or on the ground.

The Bright Side

In a moment when most people would freeze or flee, ordinary Texans ran toward a burning plane with whatever tools they could find. They didn't know the passengers. They weren't trained rescue workers. They simply saw people who needed help and refused to drive past.

Their split-second decision to act saved five lives that night.

When courage calls, heroes answer.