A Air Medical Services helicopter crashed onto eastbound Highway 50 in Sacramento on Monday evening, leaving three crew members critically injured.
The Sacramento Fire Department reported that a REACH medical helicopter went down shortly after 7 p.m. on eastbound Highway 50 near 59th Street, just east of Stockton Boulevard, in a crash that was captured on video by witnesses on the freeway.
Three crew members—a pilot, a nurse, and a paramedic—were on board the helicopter EC-130 (registration N414RX) when it crashed, and all were taken to area hospitals with critical injuries, according to Captain Justin Sylvia with Sacramento Fire. Fortunately, there was no patient on board at the time of the crash.
“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,” REACH Air Medical Services said in a statement. “We will continue to provide information as it becomes available.”
Remarkably, no vehicles on the freeway were involved in the incident, and no motorists were injured. The helicopter apparently crashed onto the highway without striking any passing vehicles, avoiding what could have been an even more catastrophic multi-vehicle collision.
