On Saturday, a hot air balloon collided with a power line and plummeted into a city road in Albuquerque, killing all five individuals on board, including the parents of an Albuquerque police officer, according to authorities.
According to NPR, Martin Martinez, 59, and Mary Martinez, 62, were recognized as the parents of an Albuquerque Police Department prison transport officer.
The names of the five victims of Saturday’s deadly hot air balloon crash were released Sunday.
- Nicholas Meleski (Pilot)
- Susan Montoya (Passenger)
- Mary Martinez (Passenger)
- Martin Martinez (Passenger)
- John Montoya (Passenger)
According to KOB, the victims, all of whom were Albuquerque residents, varied in age from 59 to 65 years old.
According to Albuquerque police, the gondola of a balloon separated from the envelope and collided with a power line about 7 a.m. Saturday. The gondola fell, plummeting 100 feet to Central Avenue and Unser Boulevard, with five passengers onboard. The envelope was discovered in a property approximately a mile south of the crash scene, reported KOAT.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the cause of the incident, according to Albuquerque police.
