MOAB, Utah — A North Dakota state senator, his wife and two children were killed in a plane crash near Moab Sunday night.
North Dakota leaders confirmed the news to the Associated Press, saying North Dakota State Senator Doug Larsen, as well as his wife Amy and their two young children, were on the plane when it crashed.
The Grand County Sheriff's Office said all four occupants in the plane did not survive.
Republican Senate Majority Leader David Hogue said in an email obtained by AP that the Larsen family was visiting family in Scottsdale, Arizona and stopped to refuel in Moab before planning on returning home to North Dakota.
“I’m not sure where the bereavement starts with such a tragedy, but I think it starts with prayers for the grandparents, surviving stepchild of Senator Larsen, and extended family of Doug and Amy,” Hogue wrote in an email obtained by AP. “Hold your family close today.”
The North Dakota Republican Party released a statement on the Larsen family's death, saying: "On behalf of the NDGOP, we extend our heartfelt sympathy to the Larsen family. Senator Doug Larsen (D34) was a man of faith and a patriot who served in the National Guard. His voice will be missed in the North Dakota Senate."
Local officials reported the crash happened at about 8:30 p.m. at the Canyonlands Field Airport, located just North of Moab.
The National Transportation Safety Board said the plane was a Piper PA-28-140 model.
The plane crashed shortly after taking off from the airport, although the exact reason why the crash happened is still under investigation.
Deputies with the Grand County Sheriff's Office, the Moab Fire Department and emergency medical technicians responded to the scene immediately after the crash happened.
Now, the NTSB is taking over the investigation to determine exactly what happened leading up to the crash.
