Caught On Video: Medical Helicopter Crashes On California Freeway

This was quite terrifying to watch.

Authorities in Sacramento, California have reported a medical helicopter crashed on a freeway on Monday night.

The crash occurred shortly after the helicopter took off from the UC Davis Medical Center.

There are three reported injuries and were taken to the hospital with critical injuries.

CBS News provided the following details of the crash and if any cars were involved:

Officials are investigating after a medical helicopter crashed on a Sacramento freeway Monday evening, critically injuring the three people on board, authorities said.

The Sacramento Fire Department said a REACH helicopter went down shortly after 7 p.m. on eastbound Highway 50 near 59th Street. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the helicopter had just taken off from the UC Davis Medical Center and was destined for Redding.

Three crew members — a pilot, a nurse and a paramedic — were in the helicopter and all were taken to area hospitals with critical injuries, Captain Justin Sylvia of Sacramento Fire said.

The helicopter had taken a patient to a hospital and was on returning to its dispatch point when it had an “in-air emergency,” The Associated Press quotes Sylvia as saying.

No vehicles on the freeway were involved, which Sylvia told the AP was “mind blowing” since the aircraft crashed in the center of the freeway.

Watch the moment it happened here:

Helicopter crashes on Highway 50 in Sacramento on Monday night, critically injuring three.

There was a pilot, nurse, and paramedic on board.

A person was trapped under the helicopter after the crash. About 15 bystanders helped lift it off the trapped person.

(vladmallco on TT) pic.twitter.com/sf1siSBFAA

— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) October 7, 2025

Here are some of the scenes of the crash:

Helicopter Crash

US HWY 50 at 59th St.

Crews responded to a helicopter down on EB US50 West of 59th St. On arrival, 3 victims from the aircraft were located in critical condition. No vehicles were involved, just the helicopter. pic.twitter.com/dXPyGQ5cEl

— Sacramento Fire Department (@SacFirePIO) October 7, 2025

AP reported on witnesses’ reaction to the crash:

“People reported that they basically saw the helicopter kind of going down quickly. So all the traffic slowed down,” Sylvia said.

An injured woman was trapped underneath the helicopter and a crew from the fire department was able to work with motorists to push the aircraft off and get her into an ambulance.

“It took every ounce of all approximately 15 people to move that aircraft up just enough to get her out,” he said.

Aimee Braddock was among those who helped. She told KCRA-TV that she rushed to the crash site after seeing the helicopter plummet to the pavement.

“As soon as I saw that everybody was moving to try to push the helicopter out to help the first responders get to the passenger, I just ran over and got in the line of people and was just pushing it as much as I could,” Braddock recounted. “Then we held it for several minutes, so the first responder could get the person out.”

The helicopter did not catch on fire, Sylvia said.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration said they were investigating the crash of the Airbus EC-130 T2.

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