KEY POINTS

  • A small eight-passenger plane crashed near the local post office and Lafayette Regional Airport
  • Five passengers were killed by the crash, while three other people on the ground were sent to the hospital
  • One male passenger survived but crash but is currently at the hospital and in critical condition.

A plane crash in Lafayette, Louisiana, on Saturday, killed five people. Authorities identified the victims, which includes a New Orleans sports reporter. The injured passenger was identified as the 37 years old Stephen Wade Berzas, who is in critical condition, according to a news release by Lafayette Fire Department.

Four passengers killed in the crash are Carley Ann McCord, 30, Robert Vaughn Crisp, 59, Michael Walker Vincent, 15, and Gretchen D. Vincent, 51. The plane’s pilot, Ian E. Biggs, was also killed. Three other people were injured on the ground.

This includes two employees of the nearby post office and a person who was in or near a car when the accident happened, said Lafayette Fire Chief Robert Benoit in a news conference. The postal workers are now doing fine but were treated earlier from smoke inhalation, Benoit said. One of those confirmed killed was Carley Ann McCord, a sports journalist at WDSU News.

Fireman Holding Hose during Daytime
Fireman Holding Hose during Daytime Pexels.com

The station confirmed that the 30 years old sports reporter was on the plane and on her way to the Peach Bowl in Atlanta to watch the game of Louisiana State University in Oklahoma. McCord was the daughter-in-law of Steve Ensminger, the offensive coordinator of Louisiana State University. She also served as an in-game host for the New Orleans Pelicans and New Orleans Saints.

Another passenger killed in the recent crash is the 59 years old business executive, telecommunications, and data expert Robert Vaughn Crisp. He was an executive at Global Data Systems, which is an IT company based in Lafayette. Crisp was also the vice president of business development and field services of the company, as stated in the company’s official website.

The fifth passenger who is currently in a critical condition is Wade Berzas. He is the lone survivor of the crash and is the vice president of sales at GDS. He leads the sales and marketing team of the company, according to his company bio.

The eight-passenger plane crashed in a field around 9:22 AM CT near the local post office and Lafayette Regional Airport. The plane and another vehicle were already on fire when the officials arrived, said Lafayette Fire Department. The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of the crash.

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