Three people are in critical condition after a medical helicopter crashed on a California highway Monday evening, according to fire officials.
The three injured were on board the helicopter before it went down around 7 p.m. on eastbound Highway 50 near 59th Street in Sacramento, according to the Sacramento Fire Department.
The victims, two women and a man, were transported to local hospitals, Sacramento Fire Capt. Justin Sylvia told reporters from the scene. One of the victims was rescued after being trapped underneath the helicopter, he said.
FAA records show the helicopter was registered to REACH Air Medical Services. There was no patient on board, but a pilot, nurse and paramedic were on board, Sylvia told reporters, adding that no cars were involved in the crash.
The crash affected traffic with eastbound lanes completely blocked temporarily, Officer Michael Harper, a California Highway Patrol spokesman, told reporters, warning the road would be shut “for an extended period of time.”
