By: Jacob Torres

On Saturday, Jan. 31st 2025, a tragic medical plane crashed near Roosevelt Mall on Cottman Avenue, resulting in the deaths of six people aboard the plane and two people on the ground, along with over 20 others being injured by debris and fires. One year later, the victims affected and others impacted still grapple with the memory of the unfortunate event.

In a commemorative effort to honor those who have lost their lives, community residents in Northeast Philadelphia have held a memorial service in remembrance of the victims of the deadly medical plane crash of last year. The severity of the event and the memorial service related to it was enough to bring the attention of personnel such as city officials and state lawmakers.

On Cottman Avenue, community members aimed to bring together the remembrance observance at Engine 71 Fire Station at 5 p.m. to immortalize the memory of those affected by the plane crash. City officials such as Mayor Cherelle Parker and other locals attended the observance along with state lawmakers, making for a more honorable tribute.

A northeast community member who participated in the memorial stated, “Being at the memorial felt like a way for us to take back power after losing the lives that were lost on that day. It felt like an honor to see the mayor, really. I think the mayor’s speech was probably the most emotional and touching part. The service and mayor’s presence, I think, gave a lot of the people some much-needed closure. More time will probably be needed before we completely move past this, but I believe the fact that we’re able to come together for something like this is proof that we’re still strong and united.”

Another northeast community member experienced and gave their perspective on the plane crash, stating, “There was a loud noise, a bang. There was smoke in the air and a loud crash noise. It sounded like a bomb. I was sitting down the block from the airport in my car. And I know I just heard a loud noise, and I just heard a lot of people, like ambulances, cop cars, and everything passing by. Honestly, I thought we were being attacked, and somebody was bombing us. Everybody was talking, getting out of their cars, saying that something happened, and it was a crash on the airplane, and I was like, “Oh, I thought it was a bomb.” And that’s when they said it on the news, on the radio, that the airplane had crashed. I live down the block from the airport, so I always hear the planes overhead. I hear them taking off and descending from my deck.”

Among the six people who lost their lives aboard the medical plane were Valentina Guzmán Murillo, 11, and her mother, Lizeth Murillo Osuna, 31. Both were on their way home after Valentina received months of emergency treatment for a pressure sore from her Spina Bifida condition. The other victims were identified as Captain Alan Montoya Perales, 46, copilot Josue de Jesus Juarez Juarez, 43, doctor Raul Meza Arredondo, 41, and paramedic Rodrigo Lopez Padilla, 41.

Jacob Torres is an undergraduate freshman at Holy Family University and enjoys video games, literary media, and music. Jacob has worked as a contributing editor and is currently majoring in English with an expected graduation year of 2029.