Medical Helicopter Crashes on Sacramento Highway: Three Crew Members Critically Injured in Emergency Landing

The aircraft involved in the incident was confirmed to be a REACH Air Medical helicopter, according to company statements.

A medical helicopter crashed onto a highway in Sacramento on Monday evening, resulting in critical injuries to all three crew members onboard, including one woman who needed to be rescued from beneath the wreckage, officials reported.

According to Captain Justin Sylvia, spokesperson for the Sacramento Fire Department, the helicopter had just completed transporting a patient to a hospital and was returning to its base when it experienced an "in-air emergency" shortly after 7 p.m.

The pilot, nurse, and paramedic aboard were all transported to local hospitals with critical injuries. Remarkably, no motorists on the highway sustained injuries, which Captain Sylvia described as "mind blowing" considering the helicopter crashed in the center of the busy roadway.

"People reported that they basically saw the helicopter kind of going down quickly. So all the traffic slowed down," Sylvia explained.

One crew member became trapped underneath the helicopter following impact. A small team from the fire department collaborated with bystanders on the highway to lift the aircraft just enough to free the woman and transport her to an ambulance.

"It took every ounce of all approximately 15 people to move that aircraft up just enough to get her out," Sylvia recounted.

The crash forced closure of the eastbound lanes of Highway 50, according to officer Mike Carrillo, spokesperson for the Valley Division of California Highway Patrol.

REACH Air Medical Services released a statement acknowledging the incident, saying, "We are keeping all those impacted in our thoughts and prayers."

"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 continued.

Images circulating online showed extensive traffic backup on Highway 50 behind the crash site where the damaged helicopter remained.

"The cause of the crash is still under investigation," Carrillo stated, noting that emergency crews and California Highway Patrol were actively working at the scene.

Sacramento City Councilwoman Lisa Kaplan, who accompanied law enforcement responding to the crash, reported seeing plumes of white smoke emanating from the downed 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 remarked.

(This report was generated automatically from syndicated content and has not been edited by staff.)