Tech entrepreneur killed in Truckee plane crash was former professional soccer player
(KRON) — A Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur who died in a plane crash in the Sierra Nevada on Saturday with his wife was a former professional soccer player in Israel. Liron Petrushka and his wife Naomi Petrushka died when the small plane they were flying in crashed near Tahoe Truckee Airport on Saturday at 6:38 p.m.
The couple were well-known entrepreneurs and investors in Silicon Valley, according to a venture capital firm they invested in. However, prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Liron, who was piloting the plane when it crashed, played soccer professionally in Israel.
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“Liron Petroshka, the club’s former player, and his wife Naomi were killed tonight in a plane crash in the United States,” read a social media post from Liron’s former team, Hapoel Ramat Gan Givatayim FC.
Club Chairman Einav Hazanvald described Liron as a former player who “grew up in the club since the age of 10.”
“The club bows its head with the death of Liron Petroshka and his wife RIP,” said Hazanvald. Liron, according to the chairman, played at all levels for the team, including the senior level. He was also a member of a youth team that won a state cup.
“May his memory be a blessing!” said Hazanvald.
Founded in 1927, Hapoel Ramat Gan Givatayim FC is based in the Israeli city of Ramat Gan. The team currently plays in Liga Leumit, the second division of Israeli professional soccer.
Liron was piloting the plane, a single engine TBM aircraft N960LP, from Denver to California when it crashed in stormy weather while trying to land in Truckee, according to the Sacramento Bee.
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