On Monday evening, a medical helicopter crashed on Highway 50 in Sacramento, CA. The three members of the flight crew who were on board at the time were all critically injured.
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 suffered critical injuries, Captain Justin Sylvia of Sacramento Fire said. All three were taken to the UC Davis Medical Center for treatment, UC Davis officials stated.
The crash came after the team had dropped a patient off at UC Davis Medical Center and no other patients were on the craft.
Helicopter pilot Chad Millward was a retired CHP officer who managed to avoid every single driver on Highway 50 when the helicopter came down.
Those drivers and other witnesses turned into heroes themselves and worked together to lift the crashed helicopter off another victim, flight medic Margaret Davis.
Bystanders heroically lifted a helicopter off a trapped crew member after a crash on Highway 50 in Sacramento on Monday night. Family identified the crew member trapped underneath as Suzie Smith, who was one of three victims in the crash. pic.twitter.com/FYVaLFgK63
— ABC10 (@ABC10) October 8, 2025
Both Davis and Millward suffered critical injuries, as did flight nurse Suzie Smith.
Shasta County Supervisor Corkey Harmon is also a friend of Smith and her family. Harmon told ABC10 that Smith's injuries are very serious. "She's pretty broken up. Ribs, pelvis, legs and her back. There's an issue in her back. And then the biggest problem is the swelling on her brain."
In a statement, CHP wrote, "We are profoundly grateful to the first responders and good Samaritans who rushed to render aid immediately following the crash. Their quick and compassionate actions embody the very best of our community."
The crash came after the helicopter had an "in-air emergency" but the cause has not been specified. The FAA and NTSB are investigating.
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