Tag: Traffic

HELICOPTER CRASH HAS SHUT DOWN EASTBOUND HIGHWAY 50. THIS IS VERY CLOSE TO STOCKTON BOULEVARD AND NOT FAR FROM THE UC DAVIS MEDICAL CENTER. THIS IS A LIVE LOOK AT A CALTRANS CAMERA SHOWING JUST SOME OF THE BACKUP TRAFFIC IS ACTUALLY BACKED UP IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. THE CHP SAYS NOBODY WAS ON THE GROUND HIT, BUT THERE ARE INJURIES FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THAT HELICOPTER, WHICH WE BELIEVE HAD JUST TAKEN OFF FROM THE UC DAVIS MEDICAL CENTER. KCRA 3’S ANDRES VALLE IS LIVE IN THE AREA. ANDREAS, WHAT ARE YOU SEEING? YEAH. KURTIS EDIE WE JUST GOT HERE. WE’RE ON THE OVERPASS OF 48TH STREET. LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT WE’RE SEEING RIGHT NOW. WE BELIEVE WHERE THAT HELICOPTER DID. CRASH IS ON THE EASTBOUND LANES OF TYLER PAN OVER TO WHERE WE’RE SEEING A LOT OF THOSE FLASHING LIGHTS, WHERE WE SEE FIRST RESPONDERS ARE AT WHAT WE SEE RIGHT HERE. THIS TRAIL OF RED LIGHTS ARE. THOSE LANES ARE HEADING WESTBOUND AS OF RIGHT NOW. WE CAN ALSO SEE THAT THE FAR LEFT LANE OF THE WESTBOUND LANES OF HIGHWAY 50 ARE CURRENTLY BLOCKED OFF BY FIRST RESPONDERS AS WELL. BUT THE TRAIL OF WHITE LIGHTS OUT THERE TOWARDS THE DISTANCE, THOSE ARE THOSE EASTBOUND LANES WHERE TRAFFIC IS AT A COMPLETE STANDSTILL AS FIRST RESPONDERS ARE WORKING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. OF COURSE, CLEAR ANY DEBRIS, CLEAR ANY OF THE ROADWAYS FOR THIS INCIDENT? AGAIN, THAT JUST HAPPENED. WE DO HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE OVER OVERLOOKING THIS OVERPASS WATCHING THIS WITH US. YOU CAN HEAR A LOT OF THOSE SIRENS AS WELL AS OTHER EMERGENCY CREWS ARE TRYING TO GET INTO THOSE EASTBOUND LANES OF HIGHWAY 50. WHAT I CAN TELL YOU, TO WHICH I DON’T KNOW IF OUR CAMERA CAN PICK IT UP. IT’S SMOKY IN THIS AREA AS WELL. SO MORE THAN LIKELY, WHEN THAT CRASH, THAT IMPACT HAPPENED, THERE WAS A FIRE BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT OF SMOKE, AT LEAST IN THE AIR RIGHT NOW. BUT THIS IS A LOOK OF HIGHWAY 50 HEADING WESTBOUND. THIS IS THE TRAIL OF THOSE RED LIGHTS. THIS IS WHERE THE TRAFFIC IS LOOKING LIKE. AND AGAIN, ON THOSE EASTBOUND LANES WHERE WE’RE SEEING A LOT OF THOSE FLASHING LIGHTS, THAT’S WHERE WE BELIEVE WHERE THE HELICOPTER COULD HAVE CRASHED ON THOSE EASTBOUND LANES. AS EDIE AND CURTIS JUST TOLD YOU, WE CAN CONFIRM THAT NOBODY WAS HIT ON THE GROUND. BUT WE ARE DEALING WITH INJURIES FROM THAT HELICOPTER AS WELL. IF YOU’RE JUST JOINING US LIVE RIGHT NOW ON AIR, IF YOU HAVE TO COMMUTE INTO THIS AREA, YOU REALLY JUST WANT TO AVOID THIS ENTIRE STRETCH OF SACRAMENTO. USE THOSE SIDE STREETS IF POSSIBLE. THERE’S FOLSOM BOULEVARD AS A GOOD ALTERNATIVE ROUTE. WE’RE RIGHT NEAR THAT UC DAVIS MEDICAL CENTER AS WELL. BUT AGAIN, THIS IS AN AREA WHERE YOU WANT TO COMPLETELY AVOID. THIS IS VERY ACTIVE. THIS IS THIS IS ALL UNFOLDING AS WE ARE BRINGING THIS TO YOU LIVE ON AIR RIGHT NOW. BUT AGAIN, WE CAN CONFIRM THAT A HELICOPTER DID CRASH WHAT APPEARS TO BE ON THOSE EASTBOUND LANES OF HIGHWAY 50, HIGHWAY 50, AT A COMPLETE CLOSURE. AS OF RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN STILL GET THROUGH THOSE WESTBOUND LANES OF U.S. HIGHWAY 50. AS OF RIGHT NOW. BUT AGAIN, TRAFFIC IS STILL EXTREMELY SLOW, WITH THAT FAR LEFT LANE BEING BLOCKED OFF AS WELL. GUYS. YEAH WE CAN DEFINITELY. IT’S A GREAT VANTAGE POINT THERE WHERE YOU CAN SEE EMERGENCY RESPONDERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FREEWAY. WITH THE EASTBOUND LANES COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN FOR THIS EMERGENCY. WE HAVE A PHOTO FROM SACRAMENTO CITY COUNCIL MEMBER LISA KAPLAN SHOWING THE CRASH FROM OVERHEAD. SHE SAYS SHE WAS ACTUALLY IN A SACRAMENTO COUNTY SHERIFF’S HELICOPTER FLYING ON FOR AN UNRELATED REASON. WHEN SHE WAS ABLE TO TAKE THIS, TO BRING US THIS PERSPECTIVE OF THAT DISASTER UNFOLDING RIGHT NOW. AGAIN, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE INJURIES ON THAT HELICOPTER, AND WE WANT TO SHOW YOU THE TRAFFIC CONDITIONS RIGHT NOW, WHICH WE JUST SHOWED YOU FROM THE GROUND OUT THERE. BUT YOU CAN SEE RIGHT NOW THERE ARE MAJOR BACKUPS RIGHT NOW FROM WHAT THE CHP COMMUNICATIONS PAGE IS SAYING. I MEAN, IT IS PURE GRIDLOCK. THEY’RE HAVING A TOUGH TIME GETTING AN AMBULANCE TO THE SCENE. THEY DIDN’T HAVE A PLACE TO SEND THE CARS, SO THEY ARE WORKING ON THAT. BUT WE DO BELIEVE THIS HELICOPTER TOOK OFF FROM UC DAVIS MEDICAL CENTER. AND I WANT TO SHOW YOU FLIGHT RADAR, BECAUSE RIGHT HERE, AS I ZOOM IN RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF YOUR SCREEN RIGHT THERE, THAT RED AREA THAT IS THE UC DAVIS MEDICAL CENTER, AND THERE WAS A HELICOPTER THAT TOOK OFF AT ABOUT SIX MINUTES PAST THE HOUR. AND I’M GOING TO HIT PLAY ON THIS. AND YOU SEE THIS HELICOPTER IS JUST MOVING EVER SO SLIGHTLY. AND THEN IT ARE ABOUT TWO MINUTES LATER. AND THEN FROM THAT PICTURE THAT WE SAW, WE DO SEE THAT QUICKLY WITHIN JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES, WE HAVE HELICOPTERS RACING TO THE SCENE FROM BOTH THE SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE SACRAMENTO SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT. THIS RIGHT HERE IS THE THE SACRAMENTO SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT HELICOPTER, WHICH WE BELIEVE WOULD BE THE HELICOPTER THAT COUNCIL MEMBER LISA KAPLAN WAS ON WHEN SHE SNAPPED THAT PHOTO. SO THIS RIGHT HERE IS FROM ABOUT 714. AND YOU CAN SEE THE HELICOPTER IS CIRCLING THE SCENE AND WITNESS ACCOUNTS. ALSO LET US KNOW THAT THEY SAW THIS HELICOPTER, WHICH WOULD BE THE PAINT JOB THAT WOULD BE ON THOSE REACH HELICOPTERS, THOSE AIR MEDICAL SERVICES FLYING VERY LOW AND THEN AGAIN CRASHING ONTO HIGHWAY 50. SO AGAIN, TRAFFIC IMPACTED IN BOTH DIRECTIONS ON THE WESTBOUND SIDE. IT’S BECAUSE OF THE FIRST RESPONDERS WHO ARE JUST ACROSS THE FREEWAY FROM THE ACTUAL CRASH. AND YOU CAN SEE THOSE LIGHTS THERE KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR SCREEN. TRAFFIC IS ABLE TO GET BY ON THE WESTBOUND SIDE. BUT, YOU KNOW, EVEN IN THE BEST OF TIMES, THIS AREA OF HIGHWAY 50 IS UNDER A MASSIVE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT. THE 650 PROJECT HAS SHIFTED LANES AND IMPACTED TRAFFIC FOR FOR QUITE SOME TIME. AND YOU CAN SEE THE BARRIERS SET UP ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SCREEN. TRAFFIC IS OFTEN DIFFICULT TO GET THROUGH. EVEN UNDER IDEAL CONDITIONS, SO TRAFFIC AGAIN BACKED UP ON THE WESTBOUND SIDE BECAUSE OF THE FIRST RESPONDERS THERE THAT ARE IN THE SO-CALLED FAST LANE. AND THEN THE CRASH ITSELF IMPACTING TRAFFIC COMPLETELY ON THE EASTBOUND SIDE. AND CURTIS, WHAT YOU WERE SAYING IS THAT THERE’S NO WAY TO MOVE THOSE CARS, SO THEY’RE NOT EVEN ABLE TO GET SOME OF THE EMERGENCY CREWS IN IN THE COMMUNICATIONS PAGE FROM THE CHP, THEY WERE SAYING AT 725 THAT THERE’S NO WAY OF CLEARING THE TRAFFIC. THEY’RE JUST TOO MANY VEHICLES THERE ON THE SCENE. AND SO THEY WERE WORKING TO CLEAR AT LEAST ONE LANE TO GET AN AMBULANCE THERE. OF COURSE, THIS IS VERY CLOSE TO THE UC DAVIS MEDICAL CENTER, WHICH WE BELIEVE THAT CHOPPER JUST TOOK OFF FROM. AND THEY’RE TRYING TO GET AN AMBULANCE THERE TO RESCUE THE PEOPLE WHO WERE IN THAT CHOPPER WHO ARE INJURED. WE DO KNOW THAT THERE ARE INJURIES ON THAT CHOPPER, SO THEY’RE TRYING TO GET TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THERE TO GET THEM BACK TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM. THE CHP IS NOW ESTIMATING THAT THE ROAD IS GOING TO BE CLOSED FOR 60 TO 90 MINUTES. AT THIS POINT, AND THEY HAVE SET UP A COMMAND CENTER NEARBY. BUT THEY DO BELIEVE THAT NORTHBOUND 99 TO EASTBOUND 50, THAT TRANSITION, THAT’S ALL GOING TO BE SHUT DOWN AS THEY WORK THIS SCENE. WE WANT TO GO BACK OUT TO ANDRES VALLE, WHO IS UP ON THE 48TH STREET BRIDGE OVERLOOKING THE TRAFFIC SITUATION. AND IT’S A GOOD VANTAGE POINT TO REALLY SHOW YOU THE IMPACT ON TRAFFIC RIGHT NOW. ANDRÉS. YEAH. SO LET’S BRING YOU BACK OVER TO WHAT WE’RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS THIS STREAM OF RED LIGHTS THAT YOU SEE RIGHT HERE. THIS IS THOSE WESTBOUND LANES OF HIGHWAY 50. THESE ARE STILL MOVING, BUT THEY’RE MOVING EXTREMELY SLOWLY BECAUSE ON THE FAR LEFT LANE, THAT’S WHERE WE ALSO HAVE THOSE EMERGENCY CREWS AS WELL. THERE ARE TRAFFIC TO MOVE TO THE FAR RIGHT LANES. BUT AGAIN, WHAT YOU SEE ON THE LEFT SIDE OVER HERE WHERE WE SEE ALL OF THOSE FLASHING LIGHTS, THOSE ARE THOSE EASTBOUND LANES WHERE TRAFFIC IS AT A COMPLETE STANDSTILL. THAT’S WHERE WE BELIEVE THIS HELICOPTER MAY HAVE CRASHED. I CAN’T MAKE IT OUT FROM MY VANTAGE POINT, BUT IF YOU CAN MAKE IT OUT FROM WHAT YOU’RE SEEING FROM OUR PHOTOGRAPHERS, ZOOMING IN AGAIN, WE’RE TRYING TO ZOOM IN THROUGH THESE, THROUGH THE GUARDRAIL OF THIS OVERPASS TO GIVE YOU, LIKE, THE BEST LOOK OF WHAT WE’RE ACTUALLY SEEING OUT HERE. BUT WE HAVE A DECENT AMOUNT OF LOOKIE LOOS, AS I LIKE TO CALL THEM, OVERLOOKING THIS OVERPASS, STOPPING BECAUSE THEY HEARD ABOUT THE NEWS. THEY’RE WATCHING OUR COVERAGE RIGHT NOW OF WHAT IS GOING ON, BUT IT IS A MESS. SO AGAIN, IF YOU DO HAVE TO MAYBE HEAD OUT IN THIS DIRECTION, YOU WANT TO AVOID HIGHWAY 50 AT ALL COSTS. USE THOSE SIDE STREETS LIKE BROADWAY. IF YOU’RE SOUTH OF 50. IF YOU’RE NORTH OF 50, USE FOLSOM BOULEVARD TO GET TO AND FROM EAST SACRAMENTO OR ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE CITY AS WELL, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE JUST KNOW THAT WE KNOW THAT THAT HELICOPTER DID CRASH ON HIGHWAY 50, AND FIRST RESPONDERS ARE WORKING TO GET TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE INJURED. WHAT WE DO KNOW SO FAR AS WELL IS THAT NOBODY WAS HIT ON THE GROUND. THEY’RE MAINLY FOCUSED ON TRYING TO GET AID TO THOSE PEOPLE THAT WERE IN THE HOSPITAL, OR I SHOULD SAY IN THE HELICOPTER, AND GET THEM TO THE HOSPITAL AS WELL. BUT AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE TRAFFIC HERE, IT’S LOOKING PRETTY ROUGH. AND AGAIN, THOSE EASTBOUND LANES OF HIGHWAY 50 COMPLETELY SHUT OFF AS FIRST RESPONDERS ARE WORKING TO, YOU KNOW, FIGURE OUT WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED IN THIS AREA. AND AGAIN, WE’RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO AND PRESENT TO PRESENT THAT TO YOU ON AIR. WHEN WE FIRST ARRIVED, ABOUT 15 MINUTES AGO, WE NOTICED A LOT OF SMOKE IN THE AIR AS WELL. SO MORE THAN LIKELY THERE WAS POTENTIALLY A FIRE WHEN THAT HELICOPTER DID CRASH. BUT THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE AS OF RIGHT NOW. GUYS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. IT’S A GREAT VANTAGE POINT. THERE, ANDRÉS, AND GREAT INFORMATION FOR US. WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, FROM WHAT CURTIS HAS BEEN ABLE TO SEE AND WHAT THEY CALL THE CAT, THEY ARE TRYING TO GET SOME OF THE TRAFFIC MOVED OFF THE FREEWAY SO THEY CAN GET THE EMERGENCY RESPONDERS IN. AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE’RE SEEING ONE TRUCK MOVING ON FROM THE SCENE NOW. HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO SEE ANY MOVEMENT THERE ON THE EAST SIDE OF OF HIGHWAY 50, BEING ABLE TO CLEAR OUT SOME OF THAT TRAFFIC? I HAVE NOT THEY BASICALLY HAVE IT AT A COMPLETE STANDSTILL. EDIE WHAT LOOKS LIKE WHAT JUST DROVE AWAY WAS JUST A FIRE TRUCK. SO THAT LOOKED LIKE TO BE A SACRAMENTO FIRE TRUCK LEAVING THE AREA AS OF RIGHT NOW. BUT FOR THE MOST PART, ALL OF THOSE EASTBOUND LANES, ANYBODY WHO’S STUCK IN THAT AREA IS BASICALLY TRAPPED. AND LIKE WHAT YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, THIS IS A PORTION OF HIGHWAY 50 THAT IS HEAVILY UNDER CONSTRUCTION. WITH THAT FIX 50 PROJECT. SO WHETHER YOU’RE STUCK IN THOSE THOSE CHANGE LANES WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THAT BARRIER, WHERE YOU GET TRANSITIONED INTO THOSE DIFFERENT LANES WHERE YOU CAN’T GET OUT, YOU’RE KIND OF JUST STUCK THERE UNTIL THESE CREWS ARE ABLE TO CLEAR ANY FORM OF LANES. BUT AGAIN, THEIR MAIN PRIORITY RIGHT NOW IS FOCUSING ON THOSE PEOPLE THAT WERE INSIDE THAT HELICOPTER, BUT ON AGAIN, ON THOSE WESTBOUND LANES, EVEN THE FAR LEFT LANE RIGHT HERE, WHAT WE’RE SEEING WHERE THE STRING OF RED LIGHTS, THOSE BRAKE LIGHTS, IS THAT THEY’RE PUSHING PEOPLE TO THE FAR RIGHT, THREE LANES TO STILL HAVE SOME ROOM FOR THOSE CREWS THAT APPEAR TO BE WHERE THE FAR LEFT LANE IS RIGHT NOW, RIGHT JUST ACROSS THE MEDIAN FROM THE THE MAIN GROUP OF OF FIRST RESPONDERS. ALSO VERY INTERESTING INFORMATION, ANDRES, ABOUT THE SMOKE THAT YOU SMELLED AND OBSERVED WHEN YOU FIRST GOT THERE ON THE SCENE. DID YOU SEE ANY FLAMES OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT WOULD INDICATE WHERE THAT HAVE COME FROM? NO, THAT WAS ONE THING I NOTICED TOO, IS I DIDN’T SEE ACTIVE FLAMES ON THE HIGHWAY. BUT IT WAS EXTREMELY SMOKY. I MEAN, THE SMOKE IS STILL IN THE AIR RIGHT NOW, BUT IT’S VERY MUCH CLEARING OUT. AND THAT’S PROBABLY BECAUSE OF THE SLIGHT BREEZE THAT WE’RE SEEING OUT HERE. BUT YOU LOOK AROUND, YOU CAN STILL SEE KIND OF A BIT OF A HAZE. I KNOW THE CAMERA CAN’T REALLY MAKE THAT OUT BECAUSE WE’RE MAINLY FOCUSED ON THESE FLASHING LIGHTS THAT WE SEE ON THE HIGHWAY, BUT THAT’S SOMETHING THAT DEFINITELY A LOT OF THE PEOPLE ON THIS OVERPASS HAVE NOTICED AS WELL. I WAS SPEAKING BRIEFLY TO A PERSON WHO SAID THAT HE HEARD ALL THE SIRENS, AND THAT’S WHAT BROUGHT THEM OUT HERE. THEY WERE A COUPLE STREETS DOWN, SO WE HAVE A DECENT AMOUNT OF PEOPLE OUT HERE PULLING OVER ASKING US WHAT EXACTLY IS GOING ON. AND OF COURSE, THEY’RE SHOCKED TO KNOW THAT A HELICOPTER DID CRASH ON HIGHWAY 50, RIGHT? I MEAN, RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE. THAT’S, YOU KNOW, ON BOTH SIDES, YOU’VE GOT RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS, ELMHURST, EAST SACRAMENTO. SO A LOT OF PEOPLE LIVE RIGHT IN THAT AREA. AND EVEN IF THEY’RE NOT DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY THE TRAFFIC, FROM WHAT YOU’RE REPORTING, ANDRES, I WOULD ASSUME THAT THEY MAY HAVE AS WELL SMELLED THAT SMOKE. CERTAINLY, WE COULD TELL THAT THE SHERIFF’S HELICOPTER HAS BEEN OVERHEAD. YOU KNOW, INCLUDING OUR LOCAL CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, LISA KAPLAN, WHO HAPPENED TO BE FLYING WITH THE SHERIFF’S TEAM WHEN THEY OBSERVED THIS ACCIDENT. SO A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD CERTAINLY BE, TO SOME DEGREE, AWARE OF WHAT’S GOING ON THERE ON HIGHWAY 50. ALL RIGHT. WE ARE LEARNING A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION. THIS HELICOPTER HAS BEEN IN USE A LOT TODAY. IT APPEARS THIS MOST RECENTLY CAME FROM RED BLUFF. AND LANDED THERE AT UC DAVIS MEDICAL CENTER AT 636. IT SHOWS THAT THIS FLIGHT WAS ABOUT 46 MINUTES LONG. BUT LOOKING AT FLIGHT RADAR HERE, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF FLIGHTS GOING BACK TO EVEN AFTER MIDNIGHT. I’M COUNTING ONE, TWO THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN FLIGHTS. SO THIS HELICOPTER HAS BEEN HEAVILY USED TODAY. AND IF WE COULD GO BACK TO THE COMPUTER I HAVE IN FRONT OF ME THAT SHOWS YOU THIS PARTICULAR FLIGHT, THERE’S A PICTURE OF THIS HELICOPTER HERE. IT IS KNOWN AS RAGE FIVE, WHICH IS A REACH AIR MEDICAL CHOPPER. AND IT SHOWS HERE AT SEVEN MINUTES PAST THE HOUR, JUST TAKING OFF FROM THE UC DAVIS MEDICAL CENTER. AND AS I PUT THIS INTO MOTION, WITHIN A MINUTE, IT DISAPPEARS FROM THE RADAR HERE. AND THAT’S WHEN WE BELIEVE IT DID CRASH RIGHT THERE. YOU SEE, IT DISAPPEARED. THIS IS AT 709. IT’S GONE FROM THE RADAR. AND THEN IMMEDIATELY WE SEE THE SACRAMENTO SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS THE SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT, HELICOPTER RACING TO THE SCENE WHERE THEY START CIRCLING. WE KNOW AGAIN FROM WITNESS STATEMENTS THAT IT FOR FOR WITNESSES. IT JUST LOOKED LIKE THEY WERE FLYING UNUSUALLY LOW. THAT’S WHAT THEY FIRST NOTICED WITH THIS HELICOPTER. AND THEN OF COURSE WITNESSED THE CRASH. AND RIGHT ON HIGHWAY 50 THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF WITNESSES AT THAT TIME OF NIGHT. SO AT THIS AT THIS POINT, WE’RE WE’RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THE AMBULANCE HAS MADE IT RIGHT THERE ON SCENE, BECAUSE WE DO BELIEVE WE HAVE AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THAT. THAT’S THE TYPICAL FLIGHT CREW FOR A MEDICAL HELICOPTER. AND SO WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE INJURIES. SO WE’RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THE AMBULANCE HAS BEEN ABLE TO MAKE IT THROUGH ALL OF THIS TRAFFIC. IT IS SO CLOSE TO THE UC DAVIS MEDICAL CENTER. ONCE THE AMBULANCES GET THERE, THEY’RE ABLE TO GET IT BACK, GET THE PATIENTS BACK TO THE UC DAVIS MEDICAL CENTER WHERE THEY COULD BE TREATED. WHAT YOU’RE SEEING RIGHT NOW IS THE TRAFFIC MAP, WHICH SHOWS IT IS JUST GRIDLOCK THERE. AND THOSE FOLKS TRYING TO HEAD EASTBOUND, YOU CAN SEE THAT THEY’RE NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT VERY FAR AT THIS POINT. THE FOLKS WHO ARE HEADED WESTBOUND, IT’S VERY SLOW, BUT THEY ARE MAKING IT PAST THE THE CRASH SITE. SO I’M JUST TOLD WE ARE OBVIOUSLY LAUNCHING LIVECOPTER3 TO GET A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE FOR YOU AS WELL. SO WE WE HOPE TO BRING THAT TO YOU, IF NOT DURING THIS CUT IN RIGHT NOW, THEN FOR OUR LATE NEWS TONIGHT AT TEN AND 11. YEAH, SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON TRAFFIC FROM THE TRAFFIC CAMERA THERE. YOU CAN SEE THE CARS GETTING THROUGH. SO THAT’S WESTBOUND TRAFFIC WHICH IS IMPACTED AS WE’VE BEEN SHOWING YOU BETWEEN THE FIX 50 CONSTRUCTION AND THE EMERGENCY RESPONDERS WHO ARE ACROSS THE MEDIAN FROM THE CRASH SITE, THERE’S BEEN A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE WESTBOUND TRAFFIC. BUT AT LEAST CARS ARE ABLE TO GET THROUGH. IT’S BACKED UP AND SLOW BEHIND THE ACCIDENT. BUT YOU KNOW TRAFFIC IS MOVING ON THAT SIDE. BUT ON THE EASTBOUND SIDE, NOT AT ALL. AND FOR SOME OF THOSE CARS, THE ONES THAT YOU SEE RIGHT THERE, THERE IS JUST NOWHERE FOR THEM TO GO. THEY ARE STUCK UNTIL THEY’RE ABLE TO OPEN UP A LANE. SO ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CRASH SITE IS WHERE ANDRES VALLE IS RIGHT NOW. LET’S GO BACK TO HIM WITH WHAT HE IS SEEING. YEAH. SO GUYS, WE MOVED A LITTLE BIT CLOSER DOWN TO THOSE EASTBOUND LANES OF HIGHWAY 50. SO I HAVE TYLER ZOOM IN THROUGH THE GUARDRAIL HERE AND SHOW YOU KIND OF WHAT WE’RE SEEING, BECAUSE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IS WE STILL HAVE ALL OF THOSE EMERGENCY CREWS BLOCKING THOSE EASTBOUND LANES OF HIGHWAY 50, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE EMERGENCY CREWS ARE DRIVING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION ON HIGHWAY 50. SO MORE THAN LIKELY TO GET TO THIS AREA WHERE THAT HELICOPTER DID CRASH ON THOSE EASTBOUND LANES. BUT THOSE WESTBOUND LANES ARE MOVING REALLY SLOWLY. THAT’S THE STRING OF THOSE RED BRAKE LIGHTS THAT YOU’RE SEEING ON THE RIGHT HAND OF YOUR SCREEN. AS WE LOOK FURTHER DOWN, IT LOOKS LIKE I SEE A PERSON WITH A FLASHLIGHT ON THESE MIDDLE LANES. THIS IS AN AREA OF HIGHWAY 50 THAT DEALS WITH A LOT OF THAT CONSTRUCTION FROM THAT 650. SO THIS IS WHERE THAT LANE CHANGE HAPPENS. AND SO IT LOOKS LIKE SOMEBODY IS FLASHING A LIGHT THERE. IT LOOKS LIKE TO BE A FIRST RESPONDER. BUT AGAIN WHAT YOU SEE OUT THERE TOWARDS THE DISTANCE BEYOND THOSE FLASHING LIGHTS IS THOSE WHITE LIGHTS. THOSE ARE THE LIGHTS OF CARS TRYING TO HEAD EASTBOUND ON 50. AND THEY’RE COMPLETELY STUCK RIGHT NOW ON THE HIGHWAY BECAUSE OF THIS CRASH WITH THE HELICOPTER. AND JUST TO RECAP, IF YOU’RE JUST JOINING US LIVE ON AIR RIGHT NOW, WE DO KNOW THAT A HELICOPTER DID CRASH HERE ON HIGHWAY 50. WE BELIEVE IT’S THOSE EASTBOUND LANES. THAT’S WHY THEY HAVE IT COMPLETELY BLOCKED OFF. WE KNOW NOBODY WAS HIT, AT LEAST ON THE GROUND, BUT WE KNOW THAT WE’RE DEALING WITH INJURIES FROM THE PEOPLE THAT WERE INSIDE THAT HELICOPTER. AND WE’VE SEEN FIRE TRUCKS LEAVE THIS AREA. WHEN WE FIRST ARRIVED ON SCENE, WE SAW A WHOLE LOT OF SMOKE AS WELL. WE DIDN’T SEE ANY FLAMES COMING FROM THE HIGHWAY, BUT WE ARE DEALING WITH KIND OF THAT HAZE. MORE THAN LIKELY. THERE WAS SOME FORM OF FIRE SPARKED WHEN THAT HELICOPTER DID CRASH ON THOSE EASTBOUND LANES OF HIGHWAY 50 AS OF RIGHT NOW. BUT AGAIN, IF YOU’RE JUST JOINING US AND YOU NEED TO GET THROUGH THIS AREA, YOU’RE GOING TO NEED TO USE THOSE SIDE STREETS. BROADWAY IS A MAIN ARTERY. IF YOU’RE SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 50, IF YOU’RE NORTH OF HIGHWAY 50, FOLSOM BOULEVARD IS YOUR BEST ACCESS POINT. AGAIN, WE’RE SHOWING YOU THE VIEW FROM THE OVERPASS OF 48TH STREET RIGHT NEAR THAT 48TH STREET LIGHT RAIL STATION. BUT AGAIN, IT’S LOOKING LIKE TO BE A VERY LONG CLOSURE FOR THE REST OF THE EVENING. GUYS. YEAH, IT CERTAINLY DOES. THIS WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, AS YOU’RE POINTING OUT, WITH SOMEONE OUT THERE WITH A FLASHLIGHT, INVESTIGATORS WOULD CERTAINLY BE OUT THERE. THIS WOULD BE A TWO PRONGED OPERATION IN TERMS OF JUST PRESERVING THE SCENE. ONE, OBVIOUSLY, GETTING TO THE PEOPLE WHO NEED URGENT MEDICAL ATTENTION. AND THEN ALSO THEY’LL BE BRINGING IN THE FAA OR NTSB, THE PEOPLE OUT TO LOOK AT THE CRASH SITE. THEY WOULD HAVE TO PRESERVE THE CRASH SITE FOR EVIDENCE. OF COURSE, THEY WOULD WANT TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED WITH A MEDICAL TRANSPORT HELICOPTER CRASHING ONTO A FREEWAY. AND THIS AT THIS POINT, THOSE VEHICLES HAVE NOWHERE TO GO AND THEY DON’T WANT THEM DRIVING THROUGH THIS CRASH SCENE WHERE THEY’RE GOING TO BE INVESTIGATING. AND SO THOSE VEHICLES THERE THAT ARE TRYING TO GET EASTBOUND ARE STUCK ON THE ROAD. AND AT THIS POINT, WE DON’T KNOW OF ANY SORT OF PLAN TO GET THEM OFF THAT ROAD. SO THEY’RE JUST STAYING THERE IN PLACE. WE HAVE LAUNCHED LIVECOPTER3, WHICH IS WORKING TO GET TO THE SCENE RIGHT NOW. SO WE HOPE TO BRING YOU AN AERIAL VIEW IN JUST A COUPLE OF SECONDS. BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THIS WAS A REACH MEDICAL CHOPPER. AND THIS CHOPPER HAD JUST TAKEN OFF A FEW MINUTES AFTER THE TOP OF THE HOUR, ABOUT 705, AND IT DIDN’T MAKE VERY FAR LOST CONTROL. AND IT ENDED UP CRASHING THERE RIGHT ONTO HIGHWAY 50, WHICH IS WHERE WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE PATIENTS WHO ARE IN THAT HELICOPTER WHO ARE INJURED. WE’RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THEY HAVE BEEN LOADED UP INTO AN AMBULANCE, AND IF THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BE TRANSPORTED BACK TO UC DAVIS MEDICAL CENTER, WHICH IS THE CLOSEST TRAUMA CENTER TO GET TREATED FOR ANY INJURIES THAT THEY THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, ANDRES MENTIONED SMELLING THE STRONG SMELL OF SMOKE. THERE WAS ALSO A BURN UNIT RIGHT THERE AT UC DAVIS MEDICAL CENTER THAT IS IN CLOSE ASSOCIATION WITH THE FIREFIGHTERS INSTITUTE, AND THEY WORK TOGETHER ON THAT. AND SO ONE OF THE BEST BURN CENTERS IN THE ENTIRE WORLD IS RIGHT THERE AT UC DAVIS MEDICAL CENTER. BUT WE DON’T HAVE ANY INDICATION AT THIS POINT. THERE WAS SMOKE. WE DON’T THERE WEREN’T REPORTS OF FLAMES, BUT LIVECOPTER3 IS OVERHEAD RIGHT NOW. SO TOGETHER WE’RE GOING TO GET OUR FIRST GLIMPSE OF THIS LIVE PICTURE. AND THERE IT IS. YOU CAN SEE THE CHOPPER. IT IS RIGHT THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. IT DOES LOOK LIKE WE HAVE CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE. EDIE DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO YOU? IT’S ON ITS SIDE. YES, IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. RIGHT THERE. CURTIS, I’M GOING TO LEAVE YOU ON THE SET FOR A MINUTE AND JUST KIND OF WALK OVER. I CAN GET A BETTER VIEW OF WHAT IS GOING ON. YOU CAN SEE RIGHT THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SCREEN OF THAT HELICOPTER, YOU CAN SEE WE HAVE THE MEDICAL SYMBOL, AND IT DOES LOOK LIKE THAT HELICOPTER IS ON ITS SIDE. IT IS A EUROCOPTER. YOU COULD TELL IT’S A EUROCOPTER BECAUSE THE BACK OF THAT HELICOPTER HAS THAT CIRCLE WITH ONE OF THOSE TURBINES, AND THAT IS INDICATIVE OF A EUROCOPTER, BUT IT APPEARS THAT WE HAVE DAMAGE TO THE TOP OF THAT HELICOPTER AND A LOT OF DEBRIS RIGHT THERE ON THE ROAD, WHICH GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHY THEY CERTAINLY CAN’T LET ANY TRAFFIC THROUGH AT THIS POINT. IT IS A FULL BLOCKAGE OF THE ROAD AT THIS POINT. SO WE DO KNOW PEOPLE WERE ON BOARD. IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE ANYBODY IS TRYING TO REMOVE ANYBODY FROM THAT HELICOPTER AT THIS POINT. SO WE’RE HOPING THAT THAT MEANS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN LOADED INTO AN AMBULANCE AND ARE OFF TO THE HOSPITAL AT THIS POINT. I MEAN, YOU LOOK AT THIS RIGHT NOW, CURTIS, AND THERE IS JUST EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THIS HELICOPTER. WHEN WE HAD GOTTEN THE WORD FROM WITNESSES THAT THEY HAD SEEN THE HELICOPTER COMING IN, FLYING VERY LOW, I HAD HOPED THAT MAYBE IT WAS WHAT YOU WOULD CALL A HARD LANDING, RIGHT WHERE YOU WOULDN’T HAVE AS MUCH DAMAGE. BUT THIS DAMAGE IS REALLY EXTENSIVE. AGAIN, A BIG DEBRIS FIELD. I’M LOOKING FOR SIGNS OF FIRE AND ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE CHARRED. AND I’M NOT SEEING THAT. CURTIS. NO, YOU SEE A LOT OF PIECES OF DEBRIS. AND IF YOU LOOK RIGHT INTO THE CHOPPER THERE, IT LOOKS LIKE WE’RE SEEING A SEAT. BUT NO, I’M NOT SEEING ANY FLAME. ANY SIGNS THAT THERE WERE FLAME? ANYTHING IS CHARRED. BUT YOU COULD UNDERSTAND IF A HELICOPTER DID MAKE A CRASH LIKE THIS. YOU PRESUMABLY WOULD HAVE SOME SMOKE TO SOME DEGREE, BUT IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE IT CAUGHT FIRE. AND AND BURN. THE STRUCTURE OF THAT HELICOPTER ITSELF. BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT DEBRIS FIELD IS PRETTY MUCH COVERING ALL OF THOSE LANES. YEAH, YEAH. THIS WAS A THIS WAS A MAJOR CRASH HERE. SO YEAH, YOU CAN SEE THAT EVEN WITH EMERGENCY CREWS, THERE’S AN AMBULANCE, BY THE WAY. EDIE RIGHT THERE. THE THE LEFT PART OF YOUR SCREEN THERE. AND THE BOTTOM, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE IS AN AMBULANCE. SO WE KNOW AN AMBULANCE HAS MADE IT TO THE SCENE. PERHAPS OTHER AMBULANCES HAVE MADE IT TO THE SCENE AS WELL. BUT THAT WAS TO THE BOTTOM LEFT OF YOUR SCREEN WHERE YOU SEE WHAT APPEARS. SOME CRIME TAPE THERE AND THE VEHICLES THAT ARE CLEARLY BLOCKING THE THE ROAD. RIGHT. THAT’S. YEAH, EXACTLY. AND AS YOU POINTED OUT, CURTIS, NO ONE RIGHT AT THE HELICOPTER ITSELF. THERE’S AT THIS POINT NO OPERATION THAT WOULD BE DEALING WITH ANY, ANY VICTIMS THERE AT THE SCENE. SO IT LOOKS LIKE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF EMERGENCY RESPONDERS STANDING BACK. AND AGAIN, PERHAPS IN POSITION TO PRESERVE EVIDENCE. CLEARLY KEEPING, YOU KNOW, THE TRAFFIC AND DRIVERS AWAY FROM, FROM THIS CRASH. SO AS WE LOOK FROM LIVECOPTER3 ON THE RIGHT SIDE THERE OF THIS CRASHED HELICOPTER ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SCREEN, YOU’RE SEEING A PICTURE FROM THE EAST LOOKING BACK WEST, WHERE YOU COULD SEE ALL OF THOSE FIRE TRUCKS AND PATROL CARS GUARDING THE SCENE RIGHT NOW, WHICH NO DOUBT WILL BE AN EXTENSIVE INVESTIGATION AS THEY TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT CAUSED THIS, THIS MEDICAL HELICOPTER TO GO DOWN. NOW, ONE THING I WANT TO POINT OUT, EDIE IS LOOKING AT THE EXTENSIVE HISTORY OF HOW THIS HELICOPTER HAS FLOWN TODAY. WE DON’T KNOW IF THEY WERE PICKING UP A PATIENT OR IF THEY WERE DROPPING OFF A PATIENT PRIOR TO THIS CRASH. WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT THIS HELICOPTER SEEMS TO HAVE DONE A LOT OF WORK IN REDDING THIS MORNING. IT FLEW FROM MCCLELLAN TO REDDING, AND THEN AFTER FIVE, IT FLEW FROM REDDING REGIONAL AIRPORT TO RED BLUFF, LANDING IN RED BLUFF AT 517. AND THEN AT 550, IT WENT STRAIGHT FROM RED BLUFF TO THE UC DAVIS MEDICAL CENTER, AND AMBULANCES. THE AMBULANCE OUT NOW. SO THAT HELICOPTER LANDED AT THE UC DAVIS MEDICAL CENTER AT 636. AND THEN I HAVE INDICATION FROM FLIGHT RADAR THAT THE HELICOPTER TOOK OFF FROM THE UC DAVIS MEDICAL CENTER AT ABOUT 705, AND WITHIN 3 OR 4 MINUTES, IT DISAPPEARED FROM THE RADAR. OKAY. WE HAVE A PHOTO NOW FROM JENNIFER WEST. JENNIFER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PROVIDING THIS PHOTO FOR US. AND AGAIN, ANOTHER LOOK AT JUST. VERY MAJOR CRASH HERE. THE CHOPPER CLEARLY ON ITS SIDE. AND THERE’S JUST SO MUCH DAMAGE TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT CHOPPER AS WELL. AND LOOK AT THE FIREFIGHTERS THERE BECAUSE WE HAVE FIREFIGHTERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THAT HELICOPTER. AND IT LOOKS LIKE THEY ARE IN THE POSITION WHERE THEY WOULD BE WORKING ON PATIENTS. SO IF THIS IS WHAT WE THINK IT IS, THERE IS A PATIENT ON THE SIDE OF THE CHOPPER CLOSEST TO US AND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CHOPPER, AND AT THIS POINT, WE DON’T KNOW THE CONDITION OF AT LEAST WHAT WOULD BE TWO PEOPLE. I WILL SAY THAT FROM OTHER SITUATIONS LIKE THIS THAT WE HAVE COVERED, IT WOULD BE PRETTY COMMON FOR THERE TO BE A PILOT, AND THEN FOR THERE TO BE AT LEAST TWO MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS ON A FLIGHT LIKE THIS, THAT THAT WOULD THAT’S JUST FROM FROM THE NATURE OF OTHER CASES THAT WE’VE COVERED LIKE THIS. YOU WOULD HAVE A CREW OF A FEW PEOPLE. SO WE’RE ZOOMING IN CLOSER FOR THE FIRST TIME, WHERE YOU COULD SEE SOME OF THE DEBRIS THERE ON THE ROAD. IT’S VERY DARK, BUT WE’RE LOOKING AT THIS LIVE TOGETHER, TRYING TO MAKE OUT, YOU KNOW WHAT THIS DEBRIS IS FROM THAT HELICOPTER. IT JUST I JUST SEE A BUNCH OF SMALL PIECES. SO AS THIS HELICOPTER CRASHED TO THE GROUND, IT JUST LOOKS LIKE SOME PIECES JUST SHATTERED, YOU KNOW, AND SPREAD AROUND THIS PARTICULAR AREA. BUT IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE WE HAVE ANY PATIENTS ON SCENE AT THIS POINT. NOT AT THIS POINT. ALL RIGHT. WE’RE GOING TO TAKE A BREAK AND LET OUR REPORTER OUT THERE ANDRES VALLE GATHER INFORMATION. OF COURSE, WE ARE HOPING TO BRING YOU FOR OUR NEWS TONIGHT AT TEN AND 11. MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE ON BOARD AND EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. OKAY. REAL QUICKLY, I JUST GOT SOME INFORMATION HERE FROM THE CHP WHERE THEY’RE SAYING THEY’RE NOW CHANGING THE SIGNS IN THE AREA TO SAY ALL LANES ARE BLOCKED AND TRAFFIC MUST GO TO HIGHWAY 99. SO ANYBODY TRYING TO GET EASTBOUND ON 50 TONIGHT, IT’S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. SO IT LOOKS LIKE THEY’RE WORKING ON GETTING SOME OTHER DETOURS IN PLACE. I KNOW YOU COULD GO DOWN SOUTH ON 99 AND, YOU KNOW, CUT OVER AND MAYBE BYPASS ALL THIS AND GET BACK ON HIGHWAY 50 WELL, EAST OF THIS ACCIDENT. BUT HIGHWAY 50 IS SHUT DOWN AND ANY TRAFFIC NEEDS TO DIVERT SOMEHOW AND TRY TO GET ONTO 99 AND TRY TO GET AROUND THIS CRASH. SO AGAIN, TAKING A LOOK AT AT THE WRECKAGE ITSELF AND THIS IS JUST IT REALLY QUITE A SHOCK WHEN YOU WHEN YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE AT THE CRASH. THERE IT IS REALLY. INCREDIBLE THAT THIS DID NOT YOU KNOW, END UP WITH MORE CASUALTIES HITTING ANY CARS OR OTHER TRAFFIC. AND EVEN ONCE THEY WENT DOWN THAT CARS DIDN’T CRASH INTO INTO THE HELICOPTER. GO AHEAD. YEAH. SO WE SEE A FIREFIGHTER LOOKING INTO THE WRECKAGE RIGHT THERE. BUT THIS IS WHAT WE KNOW AT THIS POINT. THIS REACH HELICOPTER TOOK OFF FROM THE UC DAVIS MEDICAL CENTER SHORTLY AFTER 7:00 TONIGHT. AND WITNESSES DESCRIBED THAT IT SEEMED TO LOSE CONTROL. IT CRASHED RIGHT HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF EASTBOUND HIGHWAY 50. FROM AN IMAGE WE SAW JUST MOMENTS AGO, IT LOOKED LIKE WE POSSIBLY HAD AT LEAST TWO INJURIES TO PASSENGERS, TWO PEOPLE ON BOARD, I SHOULD SAY THAT FIREFIGHTERS WERE TENDING TO. AND HIGHWAY 50 IS SHUT DOWN AS THEY INVESTIGATE THIS SCENE. ALL RIGHT. WE ARE GOING TO FOCUS ON OUR COVERAGE FOR OUR NEWS TONIGHT AT TEN AND 11. BUT WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO POST UPDATES ON OUR APP. THE KCRA APP, AND OUR WEBSITE, WHICH IS KCRA.COM. SO YOU CAN GO TO EITHER OF THOSE SOURCES FOR UPDATED INFORMATION. AND WE’LL BE BACK HERE WITH AN UPDATE FOR YOU AT 10:00 ON MY58. THANKS FOR JOINING US. WE’RE