Breaking News Reporter
A North Texas surgeon and his two children died in a plane crash Sunday afternoon in Parker County, according to multiple reports.
A Cessna C310 airplane crashed near Poolville, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The crash occurred about 1:15 p.m. when the plane landed in a pasture near Lone Star Road, officials told The Wise County Messenger.
The twin-engine plane had departed from a Wise County airport, according to the Parker County Sheriff’s Office.
Heath Smith, a Paradise ISD school board member and vice president, and two of his children ages 6 and 8, were pronounced dead at the scene, officials told multiple news outlets.
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“Our hearts are devastated for the Smith family,” Paradise superintendent Will Brewer said in a statement. “Words cannot fully express the grief that we feel for their loss. The tragedy that this family has endured is unimaginable. Dr. Smith was a vital part of our school district as an alumnus, parent, and board member. He was passionate about his love for Paradise ISD and his impact on students and staff will be long lasting. Please keep the Smith family in your prayers.”
NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the crash.
Lana Ferguson joined The Dallas Morning News after reporting in South Carolina's Lowcountry for The Island Packet & Beaufort Gazette newspapers. She graduated from the University of Mississippi where she studied journalism and Southern studies. She's a Virginia native but her work has taken her all over the U.S., southern Africa, and Sri Lanka.