Business Jet Crashes on Laredo Highway, Killing Tech Entrepreneur Joshua Baer
A private business jet crashed and burst into flames on a busy highway in Laredo, Texas, late Tuesday night, killing one of the six people on board and sending shockwaves through the American tech and startup community.
The aircraft, a Cessna Citation Latitude operated by NetJets, had departed San José del Cabo, Mexico, en route to Austin, Texas. Just before 10 p.m., the flight crew radioed air traffic control in Laredo reporting mechanical difficulties and a fuel shortage, declaring an emergency as they attempted to divert to Laredo International Airport. Contact with the aircraft was lost moments later, and it went down on Laredo's Bob Bullock Loop, splitting in half on impact and catching fire.
Bystanders abandoned their vehicles to assist in a frantic rescue effort. Witnesses described watching someone inside the burning fuselage attempt to smash through the cockpit glass, while people outside used makeshift tools to force open the cabin door. Three teenagers and a pilot escaped the wreckage before a firefighter entered the smoke-filled cabin to pull out a sixth, unconscious passenger.
Among those killed was Joshua Baer, founder and CEO of Capital Factory, a prominent Austin-based startup accelerator and venture firm. Baer was widely regarded as a central figure in Texas's technology and entrepreneurship scene. Tributes poured in from political and business leaders, with Capital Factory's leadership and Texas lawmakers describing him as a transformative force for innovation in the state.
Laredo Mayor Victor Treviño praised the swift response of police officers and firefighters, crediting their actions with preventing what could have become a far deadlier outcome.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the cause of the crash. Authorities have not released the identities of the surviving passengers and crew, who were transported to local hospitals following the incident.
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