A plane crashed Thursday morning near the New York home of Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Dion Dawkins, killing the pilot.
A 1979 Beechcraft A36, a small private plane, was flying from Lansing, Michigan to White Plains, New York when it experienced mechanical problems and crashed in East Aurora. Police Chief Patrick Welch told reporters.
The pilot, the only person on board, died about 20 miles southeast of Buffalo. They have not yet been identified.
Police said the single-engine plane crashed in a residential area near the 100 block of Stewart Court. This home was last sold in 2022 for $1.3 million. According to Realtor.com.
“I just hope the pilot's family is OK,” said Dawkins, who was “visibly emotional.” According to ESPN.
“Someone lost their life today and I hope they're okay,” the Ironclad Giant added.
Dawkins was preparing for practice when he learned of the accident just before 11:30 a.m. Thursday.
“And I'm glad that my family is totally fine. The alarm system, the security guards there and all the other parties are keeping us safe,” the 30-year-old said.
He told reporters he did not live in the home, but his partner Dayana Muhammad was checking the mail at the time, ESPN reported.
“My prayers are with the right people in line and with that pilot's family because everything went wrong.”
Officials said the crash remains under investigation.
