NAPLES, FL – A devastating accident unfolded on the Naples stretch of Interstate 75 in Florida this past Friday afternoon. A small plane crashed, leading to the death of at least two individuals, as confirmed by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.
The plane involved in the crash was a Bombardier Challenger 600 business jet, which was reported by the FAA to have been carrying five individuals. Information about the status of the other passengers was not immediately available.
The plane had taken off from Ohio State University Airport around 1 p.m. ET, local sources reported.
Following a sudden failure of both engines just past 3 p.m. ET, the pilot had sought permission for an emergency landing at Naples Airport, which was the plane’s original destination.
The plane, however, ended up colliding with a vehicle on the freeway. The two reported deaths were those aboard the plane.
In response to the incident, the Florida Highway Patrol issued a traffic alert via social media, indicating the closure of northbound lanes at exit 105 (Golden Gate Pkwy) and an extended closure of southbound lanes due to the crash.
The sheriff’s office confirmed that all southbound lanes were shut down and northbound lanes were also affected.
Emergency services were immediately dispatched to the scene. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are set to investigate the incident.
The FAA issued a statement saying, “The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide any updates.”