Sacramento, US, Oct 7 (AP) A medical helicopter crashed on a highway in Sacramento on Monday evening, critically injuring three individuals on board, including a woman who had to be extricated from beneath the aircraft, officials reported.
The helicopter had just completed a patient transport to a hospital and was en route back to its base when it encountered an “in-air emergency” shortly after 7 pm, explained Captain Justin Sylvia, spokesperson for the Sacramento Fire Department.
The three injured—comprising a pilot, a nurse, and a paramedic—were transported to hospitals and are in critical condition, he stated.
Remarkably, no motorists on the highway were injured, which Sylvia described as “mind-blowing” given that the helicopter came down in the center of the highway.
“Witnesses reported the helicopter descending rapidly, prompting traffic to slow down,” Sylvia recounted.
Among those injured, one person was trapped beneath the helicopter. A small team from the fire department, aided by bystanders on the highway, managed to lift the aircraft just enough to free the woman and get her to an ambulance.
“It required the combined effort of approximately 15 people to move the aircraft just enough to extricate her,” Sylvia added.
The crash resulted in the closure of the eastbound lanes of Highway 50, according to Officer Mike Carrillo, spokesperson for the Valley Division of the California Highway Patrol.
The aircraft involved was a REACH Air Medical helicopter, as confirmed by the company. In a statement, they expressed, “We are keeping all those impacted in our thoughts and prayers.”
The company further added, “We are in the process of determining the details of this situation, as well as the condition of the REACH crew involved, who were taken to area hospitals.”
Images shared online depicted a long lineup of vehicles on Highway 50 queued behind the wrecked helicopter.
“The cause of the crash is under investigation,” said Carrillo, noting that emergency crews and the CHP were present at the site.
Sacramento City Councilwoman Lisa Kaplan, who was on a ride-along with law enforcement responding to the crash, observed plumes of white smoke rising from the downed helicopter.
“It’s truly somber and sobering. I am flying with sheriff pilots who undertake this work daily. It truly makes you grateful for every day and our officers and medical pilots,” she commented. (AP) SKS SKS
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