LAREDO, Texas — A private jet crashed on a highway in southern Texas on Tuesday, killing one of the six people on board the aircraft, authorities said.

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Motorists left their vehicles on Loop 20 in Laredo near the Mexico border and attempted to smash the cockpit window to free the persons on the aircraft, The Associated Press reported. Two people used a sledgehammer and shovel on the glass, and their efforts were caught on video footage that has been circulating online, according to the news organization.

According to the Laredo Police Department, five of the injured victims were taken to an area hospital and were in stable condition, KGNS reported.

“What we have tonight is a tragic event,” police spokesperson Joe Baeza said during a news conference.

Police said the Cessna Citation was flying from Los Cabos, Mexico, to Austin, Texas, according to The New York Times. The plane reported major mechanical issues to Laredo International Airport and was low on fuel just before 10 p.m. CT, Gilberto Sanchez, the airport’s director, told the newspaper.

Video from the scene showed the plane lying sideways on the highway, according to the Times. Flames and thick smoke billowed from part of the aircraft as officers and residents were finally able to open the door, the newspaper reported.

The plane struck one vehicle when it landed on the highway, KGNS reported. The occupants of the vehicle were taken to an area hospital and survived, the Laredo Morning Times reported. No other information was available on their conditions, and it was unclear how many people were in the vehicle, according to the newspaper.

Authorities have not released the victims’ names, stating that next-of-kin notifications still have to be made, KGNS reported.

Five officers responding to the crash site were taken to an area hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation, the Morning Times reported.

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