3 killed when helicopter with National Guard members crashes in Texas; 2 victims identified

LA GRULLA, Texas — At least three people were killed and one was in serious condition after a helicopter crashed Friday in La Grulla, Texas.

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Two victims identified by New York officials

Update 4:50 p.m. EST March 9: According to statements from elected officials in Rensselaer County, New York, two of the victims have been identified and were local residents.

Casey Frankoski, a graduate of Columbia High School in East Greenbush and daughter of former Rensselaer police Chief James Frankoski, was killed, the Times-Union of Albany reported. John Grassia, a New York State trooper, was also killed, according to the newspaper.

Rensselaer Mayor Michael Stammel wrote in a Facebook post that Frankoski had been killed.

A post on Rensselaer County’s Facebook page confirmed that Frankoski and Grassia had been killed.

According to the Times-Union, Grassia graduated from State Police basic training in 2022 and lived in Schenectady at the time of his graduation, according to a news release from the office of Gov. Kathy Hochul from 2022.

According to the New York State Police, Grassia was most recently assigned to Group G, WROC-TV reported.

-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

President Biden releases statement on the crash

Update 1:54 p.m. EST March 9: President Joe Biden released a statement Saturday after learning about the crash that killed two National Guard members and a U.S. Border Patrol agent.

“These brave Americans dedicated their lives to protecting our nation. They signed up knowing the risks and believing in the mission of serving their fellow Americans by keeping our nation safe. Our gratitude is profound, and their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” Biden said. “We extend our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones, as well as their colleagues in the National Guard and U.S. Border Patrol. We pray for the injured Guardsman’s swift recovery.”

The National Guard’s Gen. Daniel Hokanson confirmed in a statement that it was two National Guard soldiers and a U.S. Border Patrol agent who were killed.

“They are a tragic loss beyond words. We pray for the speedy recovery of a third Guard Soldier who was seriously injured. All of these people represent selfless service and the best of America,” the National Guard said.

Original story: Starr County Judge Eloy Vera, a top county official, told The Associated Press that a helicopter with three National Guard members and a Border Patrol agent crashed Friday near the United States-Mexico border.

Vera told the AP that the Starr County Sheriff’s Office secured the scene and was expecting federal officials to be en route.

Three people on board of the helicopter were killed. Vera said, according to the AP, that a fourth person is in critical condition. According to Vera, there was a woman and three men aboard the helicopter.

Texas Department of Public Safety Lt. Christopher Olivarez said that the crash happened in a small town called La Grulla, the AP reported.

Earlier in the evening on Friday, the Starr County Sheriff’s Office, in a Facebook post, said they were assisting with a downed helicopter incident that possibly had four people on board.

The helicopter was a National Guard Lakota UH-72, a defense official told ABC News.

The AP reached out to spokespersons with Border Patrol but has not yet heard back.

The names of the people who were killed have not yet been released. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

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