On October 13, a small plane crashed straight into a major highway in the state of Massachusetts during rush hour, killing two people in the holdings and causing debris to splash up all over the road.
Fortunately, no driver on the Interstate 195 Expressway was seriously injured, according to the announcement of New Bedford City Mayor Jon Mitchell on Facebook.
Mr. Mitchell also sent his condolences to the victims' families and said that he was grateful that the accident did not cause serious casualties for road users.
Meanwhile, Massachusetts state police said a woman sitting in a car that was hit was taken to the hospital for treatment but was not in danger of death. The authorities have not announced further details.
Video footage from passersby shows a column of black smoke rising from the fuselage leaning on the road. Other debris was scattered on the median strip with grass and nearby forests.
The Massachusetts Department of Transport said the expressway was completely blocked in both directions near the crash site in the town of Dartmouth, about 80km south of Boston, and reopened only partially on the same afternoon as October 13 (local time).
According to Bristol District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III, the two victims were identified as having died on the spot, Thomas Perkin (68 years old) and his wife, Agatha (66 years old), both living in Middletown, Rhode Island.
According to the National Weather Service, this area was then affected by a coastal storm (nor'easter), with heavy rain and strong winds from 48 to 64km/h.
Massachusetts state police speculate the plane may have attempted to land at the New Bedford airport. Officials said the pilot did not appear to have submitted a flight plan to the airport.
The National Traffic Safety Committee said the Socata TBM-700 took off from New Bedford Airport, and the agency is also responsible for investigating the accident.
In an email announcement, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it could not respond to press questions because the government was suspending operations.
