4 killed in medical helicopter crash in central California

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — A medical helicopter crashed in central California Thursday night, killing all four people aboard.


American Ambulance General Manager Todd Valeri said at a news conference that the SkyLife helicopter from his company crashed on Thursday night.

The Kern County Fire Department says the helicopter was headed from Porterville to a hospital in Bakersfield when it went down in a field about halfway between the two at about 7 p.m.

There was heavy fog and rain in the area and it wasn’t clear whether it caused the crash. It did prevent rescue crews from getting to the scene for about an hour after the site was spotted.

Valeri says the dead include a pilot, a nurse and a paramedic. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the fourth person was a patient or someone else.