On Albuquerque, New Mexico's, west side hot air balloons dotted the morning sky.When Albuquerque resident Josh Perez looked up he couldn’t believe it.“I the balloon. And she's like screaming. Everyone's screaming, 'the balloon, the balloon!' It was by itself so I was like well where is the basket so I immediately reacted and I started running that away,” Perez said.Another Albuquerque resident on the north side of I-40 saw it when she took her dogs out for a walk.“As I watch it, it gets smaller and smaller and finally it's interwoven and it just went into the scramble, vertical line and just spiraled straight down,” said witness, Tamara Sanchez. According to the Albuquerque Police Department, the hot air balloon crashed into power lines near Central and Unser.During a news conference, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said, “We know that the balloon encountered these power lines, this top line above me, they caught the top line and it's been cut and the envelope was separated from the basket and it's now being protected for evidence at a school nearby.” Witnesses nearby did what they could to help. Albuquerque Police Department Chief Harold Medina said, “That's what being one ABQ is all about. When we are here together and willing to risk our lives as citizens to help others, if you risked your life I want to say thank you.” Sanchez said, “When I saw it I think it was just that adrenaline. Like what if that's your family? What if that's your friend? You just kind of spring into action. You don't give it a thought. I just jumped in the car and came down here immediately to see if there's anything that I could do to help out.”When people close by tried to help, there wasn't much they could do.Perez said, “The basket was on fire there was a lot of smoke coming out of it. It was already on fire.” “I saw the basket and then I saw the bodies on the ground. People were crying and hugging each other and kind of explaining you know what they witnessed and what they saw. I knew immediately when I saw them that they didn't make it,” Sanchez said.State police released the names of all five victims early Sunday morning: Pilot Nicholas Meleski, 62.John Montoya, 61.Susan Montoya, 65. Martin Martinez, 59, a retired officer for the Albuquerque Police Department and his wife, Mary Martinez, 62.All five victims were from Albuquerque.The crash became the deadliest since 1982. Witnesses were in disbelief. “Never in one million years did I think I would witness it. So when I actually saw it it took a minute to register like is this really happening,” Sanchez said.
On Albuquerque, New Mexico's, west side hot air balloons dotted the morning sky.
When Albuquerque resident Josh Perez looked up he couldn’t believe it.
“I [saw] the balloon. And she's like screaming. Everyone's screaming, 'the balloon, the balloon!' It was by itself so I was like well where is the basket so I immediately reacted and I started running that away,” Perez said.
Another Albuquerque resident on the north side of I-40 saw it when she took her dogs out for a walk.
“As I watch it, it gets smaller and smaller and finally it's interwoven and it just went into the scramble, vertical line and just spiraled straight down,” said witness, Tamara Sanchez.
According to the Albuquerque Police Department, the hot air balloon crashed into power lines near Central and Unser.
During a news conference, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said, “We know that the balloon encountered these power lines, this top line above me, they caught the top line and it's been cut and the envelope was separated from the basket and it's now being protected for evidence at a school nearby.”
Witnesses nearby did what they could to help. Albuquerque Police Department Chief Harold Medina said, “That's what being one ABQ is all about. When we are here together and willing to risk our lives as citizens to help others, if you risked your life I want to say thank you.”
Sanchez said, “When I saw it I think it was just that adrenaline. Like what if that's your family? What if that's your friend? You just kind of spring into action. You don't give it a thought. I just jumped in the car and came down here immediately to see if there's anything that I could do to help out.”
When people close by tried to help, there wasn't much they could do.
Perez said, “The basket was on fire there was a lot of smoke coming out of it. It was already on fire.”
“I saw the basket and then I saw the bodies on the ground. People were crying and hugging each other and kind of explaining you know what they witnessed and what they saw. I knew immediately when I saw them that they didn't make it,” Sanchez said.
State police released the names of all five victims early Sunday morning:
Pilot Nicholas Meleski, 62.
John Montoya, 61.
Susan Montoya, 65.
Martin Martinez, 59, a retired officer for the Albuquerque Police Department and his wife, Mary Martinez, 62.
All five victims were from Albuquerque.
The crash became the deadliest since 1982. Witnesses were in disbelief.
“Never in one million years did I think I would witness it. So when I actually saw it it took a minute to register like is this really happening,” Sanchez said.
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