Bystanders describe lifting Sacramento helicopter wreckage to free pinned victim after crash landing

Three victims remained in critical condition in a Sacramento hospital on Tuesday night, a day after a medical helicopter crashed onto Highway 50.

On board the REACH flight were the pilot, a paramedic and a nurse who was identified to CBS Sacramento by family as Suzie Smith of Redding. The pilot and paramedic have not yet been identified.

The Sacramento Fire Department said, when they first arrived on scene after 7 p.m., its crew called on drivers to help them lift the helicopter to free Smith, who was pinned under the wreckage.

Terry De Crescenzo captured the moment on video as her husband, Ken, and more than a dozen other bystanders raced to help. 

It came after the chopper crashed just feet in front of their car. No drivers or passengers on the highway were injured.

“I realized there were no other cars around that were hit, and I thought, how did that happen?” Terry asked, with Ken calling it “a miracle.”

The group of people is captured on video lifting the chopper as paramedics free Smith.

“We just ran up to it and found a spot to grab onto the helicopter and just pushed and lifted it best we could, we had to lift it up,” said Ken.

Another driver, Priscilla Cochran-Navarra, also ran to help. She was in the first row of cars that slammed on their brakes as the chopper came crashing down before her eyes.

“A few of us tried to lift the helicopter at first and, initially, when I felt how heavy, like there was no movement, it wouldn’t budge at all. But when fifteen people or so came to do it, it was just seemed like the impossible became possible,” said Cochran-Navarra.

Not only that, Cochran-Navarra also says she was the first to get to Smith’s side, comforting the nurse as she was pinned and pleading for help.

“I lay down on the ground, and I just tell her, ‘You’re alive. You’re alive. Just stay still.’ I said, ‘You’re not alone. I’m not going to leave you. You’re not alone.’ It was just crazy. It was crazy. Sorry, I keep playing it. She’s screaming for help, like, ‘Help me. Help me,’ ” said Cochran-Navarra through tears.

She said she was proud to see her city come together in that moment.

“It was good to see Sacramento united,” said Cochran-Navarra. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt that since 9/11, you know? At that time, everyone came together. It didn’t matter what you did, who you are, who you love, who you prayed to. None of that made a difference.”

These good Samaritans say they were grateful they were in the right place at the right time to help and that no one was injured.

“My first thought was, how amazing. And I mean this sincerely, that nobody questioned. Everybody was just like, these are human beings that need us, and everybody just ran to help them,” said Terry.

Cochran-Navarra said her prayer is to reunite with Smith after she hopefully makes a full recovery.

“I hope that I’m able just to, just to tell her how incredibly happy I am that she’s alive and and I would tell her I’m so grateful that I was able to help her,” said Cochran-Navarra through tears.