A medical helicopter accident occurred on a highway in Sacramento, seriously injuring three individuals on board, including a woman who became trapped beneath the aircraft. Motorists assisted in lifting part of the helicopter to rescue her, as reported by officials.
The helicopter was returning to its base after transporting a patient to a hospital when an “in-air emergency” happened shortly after 7 p.m. on Monday, explained Captain Justin Sylvia of the Sacramento Fire Department. He noted that the helicopter appeared to have crashed upside down, creating a widespread debris field.
The pilot, nurse, and paramedic on board were transported to hospitals where their condition remains critical, he stated. Remarkably, no one on the highway sustained injuries, he added, describing it as “mind-blowing” since the helicopter crashed in the highway’s median.
“People reported that they basically saw the helicopter kind of going down quickly. So all the traffic slowed down,” Sylvia said.
Among the injured, one individual was trapped underneath the helicopter. A small team from the fire department, along with highway motorists, managed to push the aircraft off the woman, freeing her so she could be taken to an ambulance.
“It took every ounce of all approximately 15 people to move that aircraft up just enough to get her out,” he said.
The helicopter did not catch on fire, Sylvia said.
The crash resulted in the closure of the eastbound lanes on Highway 50, stated Officer Mike Carrillo, a representative of the Valley Division of California Highway Patrol.
The helicopter involved in the incident was a REACH Air Medical aircraft. In a statement, the company expressed that their “thoughts and prayers” are with everyone affected by this tragedy.
“We are in the process of determining the details of this situation, as well as the condition of the REACH crew involved, who were all taken to area hospitals,” the company’s statement said.
In images posted online, a long line of cars on Highway 50 could be seen backed up just behind a crashed helicopter.
“The cause of the crash is still under investigation,” Carrillo said, adding that emergency crews and CHP were on the scene.
Sacramento City Councilwoman Lisa Kaplan said she was on a ride along with law enforcement responding to the crash and said there were plumes of white smoke coming out of the crashed helicopter.
“It’s really sombering and sobering. I am up flying with sheriff pilots that do this day in and day out. And it really makes you grateful for every day and grateful for our officers and our medical pilots,” she said.
