A medical helicoptercrashedonto a busy highway after experiencing an ‘in-air emergency’, leaving a woman pinned under the wreck.
The helicopter had taken a patient to hospital and was returning to base when it started to lose altitude just after 7pm local time (3am UK time) yesterday in Sacramento,California.
It crashed onto Highway 50 and left three people critically injured, with one of the victims trapped under the helicopter.
A crew from the local fire department, as well as other people on the highway, worked together to lift the aircraft off her so she could be rescued and put in an ambulance.
Sacramento Fire Department Captain Justin Sylvia said: ‘It took every ounce of all approximately 15 people to move that aircraft up just enough to get her out.’
No one on the highway was injured, which Captain Sylvia said was ‘mind-blowing’ given the helicopter crashed in the middle of the road, blocking both eastbound lanes.
He explained: ‘People reported that they basically saw the helicopter kind of going down quickly. So all the traffic slowed down.’
The helicopter pilot, as well as a nurse and paramedic, were all hospitalised after the crash. Its cause is still under investgation.
REACH Air Medical, the company which owns the helicopter, said in a statement it is ‘keeping all those impacted in our thoughts and prayers’.
The statement 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 all taken to area hospitals.’
Sacramento city councillor Lisa Kaplan was on a ride-along with police responding to the crash and said there were plumes of white smoke coming from the helicopter wreckage.
She commented: ‘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.’
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