A hot air balloon crashed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in June. The balloon struck with a power line, and the basket toppled about 100 feet onto the busy street. In this tragic incident, four people died at the spot, and one person was admitted to the hospital in critical condition.
Later on, the fifth person succumbed to death, raising the death toll to 5. According to reports, Susan Montoya was an educationist in a school, and she was transferring to another school. Her co-workers arranged the ride for her and other guests as a token of appreciation for her services to the school and a farewell gift, as the hot air balloon was on the bucket list of Susan Montoya.
The crash of the balloon turns this beautiful movement into a tragic incident. The hot air balloon crash is a very rare incident. This particular incident is considered one of the deadliest in the history of New Mexico, which has greatly affected the community. Many people witnessed this tragic incident and the sufferings of the people who died from the crash. The people present at the scene rushed to help the people affected by the crash; however, they were unable to save the lives of the people due to the severity of the crash.
According to the reports, the National Transportation Safety Board is conducting an inquiry about the causes of the crash. They tested the blood and urine of the Pilot, Nicolas Maleski, which indicated that he had marijuana and cocaine in his sample at the time of the crash. Although, the National Transportation Safety Board has not ruled out the real cause of the crash.
However, the presence of marijuana and cocaine in the system of the Pilot during operation may have contributed to the crash. According to the reports, the Pilot of the hot air balloon was an eminent member of the balloon community, and he enjoyed a good reputation due to his professional skills. Sadly, the presence of cocaine and marijuana tells a different story.
The family members of the victims have decided to sue the estate of the Pilot and the companies that operated the commercial balloons. The estate of Martin Martinez filed a lawsuit in state district court against the Hot Air Balllonatics LLC, Sventato LLC, and the estate of the Pilot.
They claimed that the victim had entrusted their lives to the Pilot, and they were confident about his professional skills.
However, the Pilot did not take into consideration the ramifications of drugs in his body during the operation of the hot air balloon. This reflects that his negligence towards the people who have entrusted their lives to him, and he put their lives at stake.
In the lawsuit, the family has claimed unspecified monetary, punitive, and other damages. The members of the pilot family have denied the allegation of reckless behavior, and they will contest the claim in the courts of law.
