Casper City Councilmember Bruce Knell and his wife have been hospitalized with “serious injuries” from a plane crash Thursday in Utah, city officials said Friday.
“Mayor (Ray) Pacheco, Casper City Council, and all of the staff at the City of Casper want to convey our concern and sincere wishes for their sustained health and recovery,” City Manager Carter Napier said in a statement.
Utah news outlets reported Thursday that a small four-seat prop plane crashed near the St. George Regional Airport in the afternoon, around 1:40 p.m. The plane was coming from Casper, and carrying a pilot and passenger, according to St. George News.
Photos of that crash appear to show the same plane as one pictured in a public post on Knell’s Facebook page from February.
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Washington City Police Lt. Kory Klotz told St. George News that the plane crashed on vacant land and skidded 50 to 100 yards.
“Something happened with the plane but we don’t know what that is and they were short of the runway by probably about a mile,” Klotz told the outlet. It did appear that the plane was coming in for a landing but just didn’t make it to the actual landing strip there.”
Knell confirmed to Cowboy State Daily on Friday that he had been in a crash, and a later message indicated he was undergoing surgery.
The councilman took office in January 2021 after winning an open seat in Ward I.
