Three people were in critical condition on Monday after a medical helicopter crashed on a California highway, prompting authorities to shut down parts of the roadway for emergency response.
The medical emergency aircraft crashed on a busy stretch of Highway 50 in Sacramento, California.
According to Reuters, the air transport operator confirmed that no patient was on board when the helicopter went down near the city’s 59th Street, on the eastbound side of the highway. This section quickly turned from morning traffic to a field of flashing lights and emergency crews.
Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty said on X that the survivors were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment, as first responders worked swiftly to contain fuel leaks and manage traffic gridlock that followed.
“There has been a harrowing helicopter crash on 50 eastbound west of 59th St. Thank you to our brave first responders (@SacFirePIO) & ~15 bystanders who assisted Sac Fire until more units arrived on scene,” he wrote.
“Survivors are being treated at local hospitals.”
Operator REACH, which runs the helicopter service, said in an email to Reuters, “We are in the process of determining the details of this situation, as well as the condition of the crew involved, who were all taken to area hospitals.”
The company’s website describes its mission as providing emergency medical transport for the critically ill and injured across the western United States, a role underscored by tragic irony in Monday’s crash.
While CBS News first reported the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Sacramento fire authorities have yet to comment on what caused the helicopter to come down. Both agencies are expected to participate in a full investigation.
For now, Sacramento’s highway remains a vivid reminder of how swiftly a tool for saving lives can become the focus of its own desperate rescue effort.
In a similar incident in April, SaharaReporters reported that at least three people were killed and one was injured in a plane crash near Boca Raton, South Florida, United States.
The crash, which occurred near a major interstate highway, pushed a car onto railroad tracks, leading to their closure.
Boca Raton Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Michael LaSalle noted that the crash created a fireball upon impact, killing all three people aboard.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) identified the plane as a Cessna 310, which had three people on board.