Three people are in a critical condition after a medical helicopter crashed onto a California highway on Monday night.
The accident happened just after 7pm on eastbound Highway 50 in the state capital of Sacramento.
Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft had lifted off from UC Davis Medical Center just minutes before.
A pilot, nurse and paramedic were on board and taken to hospital in critical condition, the Sacramento Fire Department said, according to CNN.
No patient was on board and no vehicles on the road were involved, officials said.
Footage posted on social media showed the helicopter hovering above a row of cars before crashing. White smoke was seen billowing from the helicopter, but it did not burst into flames.
Aviation experts online said the aircraft would have had a crash-resistant fuel system on board.
Fire officials were quoted as saying that bystanders helped first responders lift the helicopter to reach one person trapped underneath.
No patient on board
The South Sacramento California Highway Patrol Area office said the US-50 eastbound and two ramps onto that highway were “shut down with an unknown ETA to reopen”.
“Please use alternate routes and expect delays. Additional closures and congestion possible in the area,” the office wrote on X Monday night.
The cause of the crash is still being investigated, with the Sacramento County sheriff’s office saying it is assisting the highway patrol.
Sacramento council member Lisa Kaplan posted photos showing long lines of traffic on the highway, adding that the freeway was “blocked”.
CNN also reported that US Federal Aviation Administration records showed that the helicopter was registered to Reach Air Medical Services.
Kirsten Gurmendi, public relations director at Reach’s parent Global Medical Response, said the company was aware of the accident and that no patient was on board.
“We are in the process of determining the details of this situation, as well as the condition of the Reach crew involved, who were all taken to area hospitals,” Gurmendi told AFP.
AFP has contacted local authorities for comment.