A medical helicopter crashed on a highway in Sacramento, Calif., on Monday, critically injuring all three people on board, officials said. A group of bystanders rescued one of them by helping to lift the aircraft off the ground.
The helicopter went down on U.S. Highway 50 around 7 p.m. in east Sacramento, said Capt. Justin Sylvia, a spokesman for the Sacramento Fire Department.
Officials from the fire department asked about 15 bystanders to help them lift the body of the aircraft to free a woman trapped underneath, Captain Sylvia said. A man was also pulled from the wreckage and a woman was found about 10 feet from the crash site, he added. All three people were hospitalized in critical condition.
“Those people being willing to take action and help lift the helicopter clearly changed the outcome of this incident for the victim who was trapped,” Captain Sylvia said in an interview.
No medical patients were on board the helicopter when it crashed, Captain Sylvia said.The helicopter had just dropped off a patient at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, he added.
Captain Sylvia said the cause of the crash was under investigation.