A medical helicopter carrying three crew members crashed onto a busy highway in Sacramento on Monday evening, leaving all occupants in critical condition, authorities said.
The aircraft went down shortly after 7 p.m. on eastbound Highway 50, just minutes after taking off from the UC Davis Medical Center, according to flight-tracking data.
Officials from the Sacramento Fire Department confirmed that the pilot, a flight nurse, and a paramedic were on board and have since been transported to nearby hospitals for emergency care.
No patients were aboard the helicopter at the time, and no vehicles on the roadway were involved in the incident.
Videos posted on social media showed the helicopter hovering above traffic before crashing beside the highway median, sending up a plume of smoke.
Witnesses reportedly assisted firefighters in lifting part of the wreckage to rescue one crew member trapped beneath.
The California Highway Patrol said eastbound lanes of U.S. Route 50 and two connecting ramps were closed indefinitely following the crash. Motorists were urged to use alternate routes as traffic delays built up through the evening.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said it was working with the Highway Patrol and federal agencies to determine what led to the midair failure.
Records from the Federal Aviation Administration identified the helicopter as belonging to REACH Air Medical Services, a subsidiary of Global Medical Response.
The company’s public relations director, Kirsten Gurmendi, said the firm was “in the process of determining the details of this situation” and confirmed that no patient was on board.
“We are focused on the wellbeing of our crew members, who are all receiving medical care,” Gurmendi said in a statement.
Local councilmember Lisa Kaplan shared photos of heavy traffic and described the freeway as “completely blocked,” while federal investigators are expected to visit the crash site in the coming days.