Space Needle Helicopter Crash UPDATE: 2 News Reporters Killed When Helicopter Plummeted, Crashed Into 2 Cars [VIDEO]

UPDATE: ABC News affiliate KOMO TV identified the two victims of the Space Needle helicopter crash as longtime KOMO News photographer Bill Strothman and pilot Gary Pfitzner. "Strothman worked for many years at KOMO News and was well-known to many of the employees," KOMO News said in a statement.

An ABC News affiliate KOMO TV news helicopter plummeted hundreds of feet Tuesday morning and crashed into a Seattle street below, just 50 feet away from the Seattle Space Needle. The terrifying Space Needle crash killed two people and injured one.

The crash occurred around 7:40 a.m. local time on Broad Street. According to reports, the helicopter was lifting off from the roof of the KOMO news station when it struck into the side of a building and crashed into at least three vehicles on the street. The news chopper exploded in a massive fireball after slamming into the cars.

The morning Space Needle crash shook up the street the wrecked helicopter sent streaks of intense flame across the road. First responders confirmed that two people aboard the chopper were killed. The Seattle Fire Department also confirmed a 37-year-old man was pulled from a burning car and is in critical condition. In fact, there are even reports of a man who narrowly escaped with his life as he was seen running from the damaged cars with his sleeves still on fire.

“It just blew up instantly,” said 26-year old Chris McColgan, who stopped at a traffic light just ahead of the crash. "The crazy thing is, the movies get it exactly right. It’s that big … It felt like a movie. It still feels like a movie.”

The latest reports confirmed that the blazing fire caused by the Space Needle helicopter crash has since been put out. Watch the footage of the crash in the video below: