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<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t5 P.M. AND WE\u2019RE HEARING FROM THE FAMILY OF THE NURSE WHO DIED IN A HELICOPTER CRASH ON HIGHWAY 50 LAST WEEK. SHE WENT OUT ON A FLIGHT LIKE SHE WOULD HOLD THOSE LIKE SOMEONE\u2019S HAND AND PRAY OVER THEM AND WOULD WOULD GIVE THEM HOPE. NURSE SUSAN SMITH, KNOWN AS SUSIE, DIED FROM HER INJURIES A FEW DAYS AFTER THAT HELICOPTER CRASH. THE PILOT, CHAD MILLARD, AND PARAMEDIC MARGARET DAVIS, ARE STILL IN THE HOSPITAL. RIGHT NOW, THEY\u2019RE RECOVERING FROM THEIR INJURIES. AND CURTIS JOINS US NOW. CURTIS, HER SON, REFLECTING ON HIS MOTHER\u2019S LEGACY OF LOVE AND SERVICE AND JUST BEING THERE FOR PEOPLE WHO WERE IN NEED AND IN PAIN. YES. SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE SAID THAT ABOUT HER. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE ARE HEARING FROM THE FAMILY. HER SON, GABRIEL SMITH, REFLECTED ON HIS MOM\u2019S LEGACY. MY HOUSE WAS ALWAYS. FILLED WITH RAUCOUS LAUGHTER AND. AND ENDLESS SUPPLY OF OF FRESH FACES. WELL, THE VETERAN FLIGHT NURSE SAID SHE DID NOT WANT TO RETIRE BECAUSE SHE WAS HELPING SO MANY PEOPLE. HER BODY WAS RETURNED TO PALO CEDRO ON SUNDAY AND THOUSANDS LINED THE ROADWAYS TO HONOR HER. HER SON HOPES PEOPLE HONOR HIS MOM BY HELPING OTHERS. I JUST WANTED TO TRY AND GET THE MESSAGE OUT. I WANTED PEOPLE TO. IF IF THERE IS ANYTHING TO COME OF THIS, IF THERE IS ANYTHING. JUST. LIKE VOLUNTEER. LIKE. LIKE DONATE, LIKE GIVE BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITIES AND LIFT UP PEOPLE IN NEED BECAUSE IT\u2019S WHAT SHE WOULD WANT. A CELEBRATION OF LIFE FOR SUSIE SMITH IS SET FOR NOVEMBER 15TH AT THE REDDING CIVIC AUDITORIUM. GABRIEL SAYS THE HOSPITAL GAVE HIM A PRINTOUT OF HIS MOTHER\u2019S HEARTBEAT MONITOR, AND HE\u2019S KEEPING THAT IN HIS POCKET TO KEEP CLOSE TO HER. WE ALL NEED TO JUST PAY IT FORWARD. IN HONOR OF SUSIE SMITH, FOR SURE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. CURTIS. THANKS, CURTIS. WE REACHED OUT TO THE FAMILIES OF THE TWO OTHER PEOPLE ON BOARD THE HELICOPTER WHEN IT CRASHED ON HIGHWAY 50. THE SON OF PILOT CHAD MILLARD SAYS HE IS IN THE HOSPITAL. STILL, AS CURTIS MENTIONED, BUT HE IS MAKING GOOD PROGRESS IN RECOVERING. THE SON OF PARAMEDIC MARGARET DAVIS SAYS HIS MOM\u2019S RECOVERY IS GOING GREAT. SHE\u2019S DOING WELL. SHE IS STILL IN THE HOSPITAL, BUT THEY ARE HOPING FOR HER TO TRANSITION TO A REHAB CENTER SOON, WHICH IS GREAT NEWS. AND THEY\u2019RE THANKFUL FOR THE UC DAVIS STAFF AND ALL THEIR HAR\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
‘Give back to your communities’: Son of nurse who died in Sacramento helicopter crash speaks out<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\tUpdated: 5:24 PM PDT Oct 16, 2025\n\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\tEditorial Standards \u24d8<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\tA family member of the nurse who died after a REACH medical helicopter crashed on Highway 50 in Sacramento is urging people to honor her legacy by helping others. Susan “Suzie” Smith died last week from injuries sustained in the Oct. 6 crash. Her son Gabriel Smith recalled to Chico’s Action News Now that the family’s home “was always filled with raucous laughter and an endless supply of fresh faces.”Smith was known for her dedication to helping others, and she did not want to retire because of the impact she was making, he said. Her body was returned to Palo Cedro on Sunday, where thousands lined roadways to honor her. Gabriel Smith said the hospital gave him a printout of his mother’s heartbeat monitor, which he keeps in his pocket to keep her close.He said he hopes people will honor his mother by helping others.”I just wanted to, like, try to get the message out. I wanted people to, if there is anything to come of this, just, like, volunteer, like, donate, like, give back to your communities and lift up people in need, because that’s what she would want,” he said. A celebration of life for Suzie Smith is scheduled for Nov. 15 at the Redding Civic Auditorium. Two other people are recovering from injuries after the crash, pilot Chad Millward and paramedic Margaret Davis. Millward’s son reported that his father is still in the hospital but is making good progress, while Davis’s son said she is doing well and they hope she will transition to a rehab center soon. Both families expressed gratitude for the UC Davis Medical Center staff’s hard work.The cause of the helicopter crash is still under investigation.–KCRA 3’s Daniel Macht contributed to this story. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n A family member of the nurse who died after a REACH medical helicopter crashed<\/a> on Highway 50 in Sacramento is urging people to honor her legacy by helping others. <\/p>\n Susan “Suzie” Smith died last week from injuries sustained in the Oct. 6 crash. Her son Gabriel Smith recalled to Chico’s Action News Now<\/a> that the family’s home “was always filled with raucous laughter and an endless supply of fresh faces.”<\/p>\n Smith was known for her dedication to helping others, and she did not want to retire because of the impact she was making, he said. <\/p>\n Her body was returned to Palo Cedro on Sunday, where thousands lined roadways to honor her. <\/p>\n Gabriel Smith said the hospital gave him a printout of his mother’s heartbeat monitor, which he keeps in his pocket to keep her close.<\/p>\n He said he hopes people will honor his mother by helping others.<\/p>\n “I just wanted to, like, try to get the message out. I wanted people to, if there is anything to come of this, just, like, volunteer, like, donate, like, give back to your communities and lift up people in need, because that’s what she would want,” he said. <\/p>\n A celebration of life for Suzie Smith is scheduled for Nov. 15 at the Redding Civic Auditorium. <\/p>\n Two other people are recovering from injuries after the crash, pilot Chad Millward and paramedic Margaret Davis. <\/p>\n Millward’s son reported that his father is still in the hospital but is making good progress, while Davis’s son said she is doing well and they hope she will transition to a rehab center soon. <\/p>\n Both families expressed gratitude for the UC Davis Medical Center staff’s hard work.<\/p>\n The cause of the helicopter crash is still under investigation.<\/p>\n –KCRA 3’s Daniel Macht contributed to this story. <\/p>\n See more coverage of top California stories here<\/a> | Download our app<\/a> | Subscribe to our morning newsletter<\/a> | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"5 P.M. 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