Linkedin/Joshua Baer

A prominent Texas technology executive was killed Tuesday night after a private business jet reportedly suffered mechanical problems and crashed onto a busy highway near the U.S.-Mexico border, triggering a massive fire and dramatic rescue effort.

Joshua Baer, co-founder and CEO of Austin-based startup incubator Capital Factory, was identified as the lone fatality after the NetJets-operated Cessna Citation Latitude went down near Laredo, Texas, while attempting an emergency landing.

Authorities say five other occupants survived the crash and were transported to local hospitals.

According to officials, the aircraft had departed San José del Cabo, Mexico, and was headed to Austin before the crew reported mechanical issues and diverted toward Laredo International Airport. The jet ultimately crashed onto Loop 20, striking a vehicle and erupting into flames just short of the runway.

Video from the scene showed first responders and bystanders rushing toward the burning wreckage to pull survivors from the aircraft.

WATCH:

Terrified passengers slam on windows to escape plane wreck on Texas highway pic.twitter.com/7y2cph61o2

— New York Post (@nypost) June 17, 2026

KUT reported:

The news was first reported by the Austin American-Statesman. Tech leaders and politicians, including U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, Congressman Lloyd Doggett and Congressman John Carter, expressed condolences in posts on social media.

“Josh has been one of the most significant figures driving innovation and entrepreneurship across America,” Cruz said. “In Texas, he made our state a global leader. His impact was incalculable.”

[…]

Six people were inside the plane, said investigator Jose Baeza with LPD at a news conference posted online. First responders took them out of the aircraft, but Baer did not survive.

The five others on the plane, as well as the driver of the car that was hit on the highway, were taken to local hospitals and are in stable condition, said Gilberto Sanchez, the director of Laredo International Airport.

Five officers were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation and the plane crash caused road closures in the area.

“LRD commends the swift response of the Laredo Police Department, Laredo Fire Department, area first responders, and the bystanders who acted without hesitation to assist those aboard the aircraft,” Sanchez wrote in an email to KUT News. “Their efforts under extremely hazardous conditions were instrumental in the rescue of five lives. “

Jim Hᴏft Jim Hᴏft is the founder and editor of The Gateway Pundit, one of the top conservative news outlets in America. Jim was awarded the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award in 2013 and is the proud recipient of the Breitbart Award for Excellence in Online Journalism from the Americans for Prosperity Foundation in May 2016.

You can email Jim Hᴏft here, and read more of Jim Hᴏft's articles here.

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