Propeller plane crashes onto intersection in Texas and splits in half

VICTORIA, Texas — A twin-engine propeller plane crashed onto a Texas highway and split in two Wednesday afternoon, damaging cars and sending four people to hospitals, authorities said.

The Piper PA-31 with just the pilot aboard crashed about 3 p.m. near a highway overpass in Victoria, some 150 miles (240 kilometers) southwest of Houston, the Federal Aviation Administration said. A police video statement on Facebook said three vehicles were damaged and images showed the aircraft split at the fuselage with part of the wreckage resting atop a car.

Victoria Police Deputy Chief Eline Moya said three people had non-life threatening injuries, one was transported to an out-of-town hospital for higher level treatment, and the pilot was being evaluated.

“This is not something we see every day, but we are glad that people seem to be OK and they’re getting checked out,” Moya said.

The pilot’s name was not immediately released. The FAA said it would investigate the crash.

Tony Poynor said he was approaching an intersection when he started hearing the sound of a small plane engine very close to him.

“To the left of me you start seeing on the wall a shadow of this plane,” he said. “Then it passed over the top of my truck. And it’s still horizontal at this point, then about a quarter of a mile in front of me it starts to wobble.”

Poynor said that after the crash, he approached the plane and the pilot was conscious but Poynor was unable to get him out.