Valentina Guzman Murillo and her mom Lizeth Murillo Ozuna died in the Philadelphia Learjet 55 Jet Rescue Air Ambulances crash
A medical transportation Learjet 55 was carrying the mother and daughter, along with four crew members, to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri when it crashed at around 6:10 p.m. local time.
In a second social media update, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker confirmed that seven people died in the Learjet 55 crash. Authorities confirmed that two of the people killed in the small plane crash in Philadelphia on Friday, Jan. 31 were a child and her mother for whom the air ambulance was being used.
Who is patient Valentina Guzman Murillo as girl and her mom Lizeth Murillo Ozuna die in Philadelphia Learjet 55 Jet Rescue Air Ambulances plane crash
Two of the victims were from Ensenada, a coastal city south of Tijuana. All passengers on the air ambulance were Mexicans.
A young girl who had recently finished treatment at Shriners Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia was being transported on the Learjet 55 with her mother. She had been traveling with her mother, Lizeth Murillo Ozuna, and Jet Rescue eventually identified her as Valentina Guzman Murillo.
Valentina was 11 and her mother was 31.
Valentina was facing several medical issues as a result of a spinal condition and had been treated at Shriners Children’s in Philadelphia since the end of August and while hospital declined to disclose details but said it was hard to find treatment for her condition in Mexico.
Valentina Guzmán Murillo, la pequeña que había vencido el cáncer, jamás pudo llegar a casa donde la esperaba su familia. Tras meses de lucha, su historia tuvo un giro devastador: el avión ambulancia que la traía de regreso a México a ella y a su madre Lizeth Murillo Osuna, fue el… pic.twitter.com/zD12ZWU0T7
— Jorge Castro Noriega (@JorgeCastro_66) February 2, 2025
The child was released from the hospital on Friday after spending four months there receiving life-saving treatment for a condition that is difficult to treat in Mexico, according to a hospital spokesperson.
The child was being “treated for illness” at Shriners Children’s Hospital in Northeast Philadelphia prior to boarding the plane, which had been en-route to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri, with a final destination of Mexico.
The flight was chartered to transport the young girl, who had just completed her treatment.
“We can officially disclose 6 perished in the plane,” she wrote in a statement. “At least one more person perished in the incident.”
She continued, “At least 19 treated at multiple area hospitals, Investigation active and ongoing. We are working closely with NTSB, all our local, state and federal partners. We’re grateful for everyone’s assistance.”
🟣✝️🕊 Han sido identificados 3 de los 6 pasajeros la ambulancia aérea que se accidentó en #philadelphia
🕊Lizeth Murillo Osuna, de #Ensenada BC. (Mamá)
🕊Valentina Guzmán Murillo, Ensenada (Paciente)
🕊Josué Juárez, originario de Veracruz (Piloto) pic.twitter.com/rYc0ymuxIm— Elma Arámburo (@EaAramburo) February 2, 2025
Response from authorities
The “young child” was receiving “treatment for illness” in Northeast Philadelphia’s Shriners Children’s Hospital and was scheduled to return to her home country of Mexico, according to the mayor’s office.
Mel Bower, a spokesman for Shriners Children’s Hospital, told CBS News that the kid was headed home when the plane crashed and that her treatment at the hospital was over. He mentioned that since patients are like family to them, a number of the medical personnel who cared for her are in grief.
The Learjet 55, which took off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport at 6:06 p.m., was only in the air for a minute before it crashed, according to authorities. According to the Associated Press, Jet Rescue, which offers international air medical services, is the owner of the aircraft.
🇲🇽🇺🇸Philadelphia air crash victims/
Víctimas de accidentes aéreos de Filadelfia1. Young Mexican girl who received medical treatment in US
2. The girl’s mother
3. Pilot
Josué Juárez4. Pilot Alan Montoya
5. Rodrigo Padilla, paramedic
6 . Raúl Meza, neonatal doctor
🧵 pic.twitter.com/EDK8oVZZzg— ChicMik (@ChyMik) February 1, 2025
According to BBC News, a youngster was struck by debris while sitting in a car, while several others were hurt on the ground and sent to nearby hospitals. After being taken to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital for surgery, the child was transferred to a children’s facility.