Violent Crash As Medical Helicopter Plunges Onto Sacramento Highway; 3 In Critical Condition - Beritaja

Three passengers successful a aesculapian chopper were successful captious information aft the trade smashed into Highway 50 successful Sacramento — an effect truthful convulsive that first responders were stunned anyone emerged alive. One rider was ejected and landed 10 feet distant from the chopper, and different was pinned beneath the wreckage, authorities said.

“I’m shocked that anyone really was talking and awake aliases surviving done each of this,” said Sacramento Fire Department spokesperson Capt. Justin Sylvia.

A reddish REACH aerial ambulance chopper collapsed into the eastbound lanes of Highway 50 conscionable westbound of 59th Street pinch 3 unit members connected committee astatine 7:08 p.m. Monday, he said. Two female unit members and 1 antheral unit personnel were transported to a infirmary successful captious condition.

The first occurrence skipper connected segment utilized the thief of about 15 bystanders to assistance portion of the chopper disconnected 1 of the victims who was trapped underneath, Sylvia said. Another unfortunate was rescued from a chopper chair that was ejected during the crash.

It appeared that the chopper augered into the ungraded embankment connected the broadside of the highway, tearing up weeds pinch its tail rotor earlier skidding crossed 5 freeway lanes.

REACH aerial ambulances are utilized to carrier patients to hospitals, often from agrarian aliases hard-to-reach places. At the clip of the crash, location were nary patients connected board, and it was not instantly known what caused the accident.

The incident caused important postulation pileups connected Highway 50. As of 8 p.m. the westbound lanes were flowing, but the eastbound lanes will about apt stay unopen done the remainder of the night, Sylvia said.

A cardinal interest is ensuring that remaining substance connected the chopper does not ignite arsenic the Fire Department and California Highway Patrol analyse the crash, he added.