The identities of a mother and her daughter who perished in a medical jet crash last week have been disclosed.
On January 31, a medical jet taking off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, carrying a young patient, her mother, and four other individuals, tragically crashed shortly after takeoff.
The plane ascended to approximately 1,500 feet before it descended into a residential area.
The following day, authorities confirmed there were no survivors from the crash.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker stated in an announcement, as reported by BBC News: “A devastating plane crash occurred in Northeast Philadelphia near Roosevelt Mall at Cottman and Bustleton Avenues on Friday evening, January 31, 2025, at approximately 6:10 pm.
“A private Learjet 55 – a medical transportation jet – departing from Northeast Philadelphia Airport with two passengers, a mother and daughter, and four crew members were killed in the tragic crash.”
The mother and daughter have been identified as 11-year-old Valentina Guzman Murillo and her 31-year-old mother, Lizeth Murillo Ozuna.
Reflecting on their tragic deaths, Shai Gold, a representative for Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, expressed about Valentina, according to Mail Online: “She did her course of care. She was going home.
“She fought quite a lot to survive, and unfortunately, this tragedy on the way home.”
In another statement, Mel Bower, a spokesperson for Shriners Children’s Hospital where Valentina had been receiving treatment, said on the day of the incident: “It’s extremely hard and extremely difficult, those that were involved directly in her care were very aware that she was going to be traveling home and there had actually been a sendoff for her today.”
The crash also claimed the lives of Captain Alan Alejandro Montoya Perales, Copilot Josue de Jesus Juarez Juarez, Dr. Raul Meza Arredondo, and paramedic Rodrigo Lopez Padilla.
All of the victims were from Mexico.
In addition to the six people onboard the aircraft, another individual died due to the crash.
Parker indicated that the person involved – whose identity remains undisclosed – was in their vehicle when the medical jet crashed.
According to CBS News, Parker also confirmed that 22 others were injured in the incident.
Among the injured, three remain in critical condition.
Additionally, 11 residential buildings sustained ‘significant damage,’ according to the news outlet.
Adam Thiel, managing director of the City of Philadelphia, noted that it’s ‘possible there are still people who were affected by this event’.
“If there is somebody who you think might have been in this area and they’re missing and they haven’t checked in and you can’t reach them or they live there – call 911,” he urged.
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