More than three months after a medical transport jet crashed near the Roosevelt Mall in Northeast Philadelphia, a woman who was severely burned in the fiery wreckage died at Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital, officials said. She became the eighth person killed as a result of the Jan. 31 crash.
Dominique Goods-Burke, 34, was in a car on Cottman Avenue near where the Learjet 55 crashed into a sidewalk and exploded seconds after departing from Northeast Philadelphia Airport. Goods-Burke had just finished shopping with her fiancé, 37-year-old Stephen Dreuitt, and his 9-year-old son, Ramesses, when their car went up in flames.
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Druitt died at the time of the crash. Goods-Burke suffered burns to more than 70% of her body, and she had been undergoing medical treatment in the months since the crash. Druitt's son, who had burns on 90% of his body, was sent to a hospital in Massachusetts to be treated for his injuries.
The Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office confirmed to the Associated Press that Goods-Burke died on April 27.
Goods-Burke's former employer, the High Point Cafe in Germantown, paid tribute to her in a Facebook post last week.
"Dominique was a fighter until the end of her 3 month battle with her injuries and related health concerns," the business said. "We will miss her kind smile, beautiful spirit, and heart full of love. Please keep her family in your thoughts as they navigate these next steps."
The jet crash killed all six people who were on board the air ambulance, which was transporting a child and her mother back to Mexico after the girl had completed four months of cancer treatment at Shriners Children's Philadelphia. On the night of the crash, the jet was scheduled to make a stop at Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri before traveling to Mexico. The aircraft, operated by Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, had an experienced four-person flight crew. All six people on board the plane were from Mexico.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. A preliminary report released in March found that the jet's cockpit voice recorder — found badly damaged in the crater left by the crash — was not capturing audio that night and likely had not been recording during flights for several years.
The fiery explosion from the crash caused damage to nearby homes and injured about two dozen people who were on the ground. Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker called the crash the "worst black swan event" the city has encountered in years, and a relief fund was set up for survivors impacted by the crash.
The NTSB said it expects to release a final report on the crash investigation within 12 to 24 months.
