DENVER, CO. (WALB) - A person who jumped a fence at Denver International Airport was struck and killed by a Frontier Airlines plane during takeoff Friday night, according to the Associated Press.

The plane, headed from Denver to Los Angeles, reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff at approximately 11:19 p.m., according to a post on the airport’s official X account.

An airport spokesperson said the person jumped a perimeter fence and was hit two minutes after entering the airport. The person is not believed to be an airport employee and has not been identified.

Frontier Airlines said flight 4345 was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members. Smoke was reported in the cabin and the pilots aborted takeoff. Passengers were evacuated via slides and bused to the terminal.

The airport spokesperson said 12 passengers suffered minor injuries and five were taken to local hospitals.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a post on X that the person breached airport security, deliberately scaled a perimeter fence and ran out onto a runway.

Denver Airport said the National Transportation Safety Board had been notified. Runway 17L, where the incident took place, was closed amid an investigation and reopened Saturday around 11 a.m.

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