2-year-old among four killed when plane crashes into Mississippi home, cops say
A 2-year-old was among four people killed late Tuesday when a plane crashed into a home in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
The plane crashed on Annie Christie Drive at about 11:20 p.m., the Hattiesburg Police Department said in a news release. The area, about 75 miles northwest of Biloxi, is made up of single-family homes.
Police have identified the four dead as Gerry Standley, 55, of Hattiesburg; Louis Provenza, 67, of Texas; Harper Provenza, 2, of Texas, and Anna Calhoun, 23, of Texas.
Standley lived in the home struck by the aircraft, according to the police department. He and his wife, Melinda, were asleep when their home burst into flames, according to a GoFundMe page.
Louis Provenza was a neurosurgeon at United Regional Physician Group in Wichita Falls, Texas, and Anna Calhoun “was a student at Midwestern State University majoring in biology,” reported KFDX/KJTL.
The National Transportation Safety Board has identified the plane as a Mitsubishi MU-2B-60, which can hold a crew of two and six passengers, according to Globalair.com.
Multiple streets remained closed in the area, and neighbors have been warned they may find debris in their yards, police said. Photos shared by the Associated Press show the area littered with airplane parts, burned lumber and a scorched pickup truck sitting partially in the road.
“If you find any debris or wreckage in your yard or property that you believe is connected to the crash, do not touch or remove it, and please contact the Hattiesburg Police Department,” officials said.
The National Transportation Safety Board reported on Twitter that it is sending two investigators to the crash site.
Hattiesburg police officials reported Wednesday that crash victim Gerry Standley was the husband of a department staff member: Melinda Standley, a division manager for dispatch. The couple off 22 years was asleep when the crash set their home on fire, according to a fundraising campaign for funeral expenses. Melinda Standley escapes with their daughter and a grandchild, the campaign reports.
Investigators have not said what may have caused the crash.
Police reported Wednesday that “onsite” crisis counseling is being offered for people who live in the area.
This story was originally published May 5, 2021 at 3:50 AM with the headline "2-year-old among four killed when plane crashes into Mississippi home, cops say."