UPDATE: 3 DEAD – ‘Mass casualties’ after plane crashes into Reno air show crowd

This doesn’t look good:

RENO, Nev. — A medical official says more than 75 people were injured in a plane crash at an air race event in Reno, 25 critically.

There’s no word on the number of deaths, but a spokesman for the race called it a “mass casualty situation.”

Stephanie Kruse, a spokeswoman for the Regional Emergency Medical Service Authority, said 25 people were critically injured and another 25 people were seriously injured in the crash.

She says the critically injured were considered to have life-threatening injuries. She says more than 25 other people were treated for minor injuries.

Kruse says so far, 40 people have been taken to local hospitals by ambulance and one person has been flown to a hospital.

The plane plunged into the stands at the National Championship Air Races at about 4:30 p.m.

***

UPDATE: According to Fox News, 3 people have died, including the pilot. It was 12, but Fox News changed it to 3.

Here is more from King 5:

This is a very large incident, probably one of the largest this community has seen in decades,” Kruse told The Associated Press. “The community is pulling together to try to deal with the scope of it. The hospitals have certainly geared up and staffed up to deal with it.”

The P-51 Mustang crashed into a box seat area at the front of the grandstand at about 4:30 p.m., race spokesman Mike Draper said.

KRNV-TV weatherman Jeff Martinez, who was just outside the air race grounds at the time, said the plane veered to the right and then “it just augered straight into the ground.”

“You saw pieces and parts going everywhere,” he said. “Everyone is in disbelief.”

Another witness, Ronald Sargis, said he was sitting in the box seat area near the finish line when the crash occurred.

“We could see the plane coming around the far turn — it was in trouble,” Sargis told KCRA-TV in Sacramento. “About six or seven boxes down from us, it impacted into the front row.”

He said the pilot seemed to do everything he could to avoid crashing into the crowd. Response teams immediately went to work, Sargis said.

“They put out a call for any medically trained or police trained personnel to come and help. Within about two minutes the ambulance crews were loading people up and transporting them away.”

After the crash Sargis went up a few rows into the grandstand to view the downed plane.

“It appeared to be just pulverized,” he said.

Draper identified the pilot of the P-51 Mustang as Jimmy Leeward of Ocala, Fla.


Comment Policy: Please read our comment policy before making a comment. In short, please be respectful of others and do not engage in personal attacks. Otherwise we will revoke your comment privileges.