‘It could have been much worse’: Eyewitness recounts near-miss after plane hits 3 cars in Victoria intersection

An eyewitness says he is “blessed” after a plane went down and just missed his truck before it collided with three other vehicles in a Victoria intersection, injuring multiple people.

KPRC 2’s Bryce Newberry spoke to Tony Poynor, whose truck dash camera captured the plane flying dangerously low and struggling to maintain a straight path in the moments before the crash.

Poynor, a salesperson from Bacliff, Texas, was driving to Victoria when he witnessed the twin-engine Piper PA-31 crash at a busy intersection.

• WHAT HAPPENED: Plane crash involving 3 cars splits aircraft fuselage at Victoria intersection

“I thought the plane was going to hit me. I saw the shadow on the wall of the overpass and knew it was too close,” he said.

After the crash, Poynor continued driving and rushed to park near the scene, where he went to help the victims.

According to police, the pilot had to be evaluated, one person got flown to the hospital, and three others got transported and all are expected to survive.

“[I feel] blessed for everybody else that was there that they survived, and, you know... walk away from this thing,” Poynor said.

He found the pilot, who he estimated was between 70 and 80 years old, still conscious but trapped inside the wreckage. The pilot had blood on his hands and was still buckled into the aircraft, he said, until Poynor helped free him.

“He was in shock,” Poynor recalled. “We tried to get him out of there, but neither one of the doors were going to work at that point."

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The crash caused one car to flip on its side, but Poynor said the driver jumped out and shouted that he was fine.

Poynor said he helped free the pilot and a woman trapped in one of the cars. However, he said a pregnant woman in a third car involved was too traumatized to move.

“She was in shock, paranoid, and wouldn’t unbuckle herself,” Poynor said.

Police have not confirmed the identities, ages, or details of anyone involved in the crash.

Despite the chaos, Poynor checked for fuel leaks and potential fires.

“I was relieved to see there was no fire,” he said. “It could have been much worse.”

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