An emergency medical helicopter fell on Monday night (6) in a busy stretch of the 50 Highway, in the city of Sacramento, in the US state of California, leaving three injured, the air transport operator said.
The first response team to arrive at the scene of the accident was able to remove the helicopter from a trained crew member, with the help of several civilians, said Justin Sylvia of the Sacramento Fire Department.
The three injured were aboard the helicopter before the fall, around 7 pm, according to the Sacrament Fire Department.
The victims, two women and a man, were transported to local hospitals, Sylvia to reporters on the spot. One of the victims was rescued after being trapped under the helicopter, he said.
FAA records show that the helicopter was recorded at Reach Air Medical Services. There was no patient on board, but a pilot, a nurse and a paramedic were on board, Sylvia told reporters, adding that no car was involved in the accident.
In a statement on social networks, Reach claimed to be aware of the accident involving its helicopter.
“We are investigating the details of this situation, as well as the health status of the Reach team involved, which was taken to hospitals in the region,” he said.
“We thank the concern and support of our community and will share updates when appropriate,” he added.
Air videos of the accident showed a red helicopter listed aside, with the broken cabin window and wreckage scattered through the surface of the highway.
“There is a very large wreckage field,” said Sylvia, calling “extreme luck” no more victims.
Firefighters and an ambulance were sent to the scene around 7:08 pm local time, the department said.
The accident affected the traffic, with the lanes in the east direction completely blocked temporarily, said policeman Michael Harper, California road patrol spokesman, reporters, warning that the road would be closed “for a long time.”
A CNN Contact the Sacrament County Sheriff Office, Sacramento Police, the Federal Aviation Administration, the California Highway Patrol and the Reach Air Medical Services to obtain additional information.
According to the Flightradar24 flight tracking website, the helicopter had taken off from the University of California Medical Center in Sacramento and was still going to the north moments before the accident.
The time in the area was clear and calm at the time of the accident, according to the CNN Weather.
