Three people are in critical condition after a medical helicopter crashed onto a major highway in Sacramento, California, on Monday evening, according to reports from U.S. media outlets.
Authorities said the aircraft went down shortly after 7:00 p.m. local time (0200 GMT Tuesday, October 7) on eastbound Highway 50, just minutes after taking off from the UC Davis Medical Center.
The Sacramento Fire Department confirmed that the pilot, a nurse, and a paramedic were on board the helicopter and were all rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Fortunately, no patient was being transported at the time of the crash, and no vehicles on the road were involved.
Footage shared on social media showed the helicopter hovering above a row of cars before plummeting near the highway median, erupting in smoke and debris. Witnesses could be seen rushing toward the wreckage to help first responders.
“Bystanders helped first responders lift the helicopter to reach one person trapped underneath,” fire officials were quoted as saying.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) announced that eastbound lanes of U.S. 50 and two connecting ramps had been shut down, warning motorists to use alternate routes and expect significant delays. “Additional closures and congestion are possible in the area,” the CHP South Sacramento office said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that it is assisting the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in investigating the cause of the crash. Local councilmember Lisa Kaplan posted photos of long traffic jams, noting that the freeway was “completely blocked.”
According to FAA records, the helicopter was registered to REACH Air Medical Services, part of the Global Medical Response network. Kirsten Gurmendi, public relations director at Global Medical Response, confirmed the incident in a statement:
“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. No patient was on board.”
Authorities have not yet released the names of those injured, and the investigation into what caused the crash
