Tech CEO Joshua Baer dies in private jet crash near Laredo

Joshua Baer, a prominent technology entrepreneur and chief executive of the Austin-based startup incubator Capital Factory, died Tuesday night when a private jet crashed onto a highway near Laredo, Texas. He was the sole fatality among the six people on board.

The Cessna Citation Latitude aircraft, operated by NetJets, was traveling from San José del Cabo, Mexico, to Austin when it reported a mechanical problem and attempted to divert to Laredo International Airport. It crashed on Texas State Highway Loop 20 shortly before 10 p.m. local time, striking a moving vehicle and erupting in flames. Dashcam footage showed the aircraft sliding along the roadway before hitting a concrete median and breaking apart.

Five other passengers survived and were taken to the hospital. One person in the vehicle struck by the plane was also injured. Authorities said five first responders were treated for smoke inhalation after assisting at the scene, where witnesses described a frantic rescue effort as bystanders rushed toward the burning wreckage to help pull survivors free.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have launched an investigation into the cause...