TYB
New Mexico hot air balloon crash death toll rises to 5, former cop among those dead
New Mexico police have opened an investigation into a hot air balloon that crashed into power lines Saturday morning, killing five people.
Four victims died at the scene and another individual was transported to a local hospital in critical but unstable condition where he was pronounced dead around 3:00 p.m., Albuquerque police said. One of the victims pronounced dead at the scene was 59-year-old Martin Martinez, a former Albuquerque Police Department officer. Martinez's wife, 62-year-old Mary Martinez, was also pronounced dead at the scene.
Officers responded Saturday morning to a report of a crash.
The pilot was one of the deceased, police confirmed. The victims aged between 40 and 60 years old.
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The accident knocked out power in the area, affecting more than 13,000 customers, KOB 4 reported.
New Mexico State Police and Albuquerque Fire Rescue have provided assistance at the scene.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of the crash, police said. The NTSB said Saturday it has deployed two investigators to the scene.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/hot-air-balloon-crash-fatalities
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Randy Dandy-O