Oct. 7 (UPI) — A medical helicopter crashed on a highway in Sacramento Monday night, critically injuring three people and bringing traffic to a halt.
The crash was reported shortly after 7 p.m. on an eastbound stretch of Highway 50 outside downtown, reported KCRA 3. The station captured footage showing the mangled remains of the red helicopter on the highway, surrounded by the glow of lights from emergency response vehicles.
Sacramento City Councilmember Lisa Kaplan posted a photo of the crash scene to X advising travelers that “Lanes will be blocked for a while.”
The aircraft was an Airbus H-130 helicopter operated by Reach Air Medical Services that had taken off from the roof of UC Davis Medical Center shortly before it crashed, the Sacramento Bee reported. The three people critically injured in the crash included a pilot, a nurse and a paramedic who were all transported to hospitals within 20 minutes of the incident, Sacramento Fire Department Capt. Justin Sylvia told the paper.
The department initially sent an engine, a truck, a battalion chief and an ambulance to the scene, where they found one victim trapped under the aircraft, he said.
“The captain immediately sequestered the help of just civilians that were standing around,” Sylvia said. “They were able to lift part of that helicopter out and get that victim out so we could get them loaded into the back of an ambulance and transported off scene.”
One witness told KXTV-TV that he looked up to see the moon while out for a walk.
“All of a sudden I saw this helicopter just plummeting out of the sky,” he said.
Authorities have not released details on what caused the crash, but news outlets reported that it is under investigation.
