News - A medical helicopter crashes into a busy California highway, critically injuring three people.

Three people are in a critical condition after the medical helicopter that they were traveling in crashed into a highway in California. At around 7 p.m. local time on Monday, Oct. 6, a REACH Air Medical Services helicopter went down on eastbound Highway 50 near 59th Street in Sacramento, ABC 7 Los Angeles and CNN reported. The aircraft had taken off from the University of California Davis Medical Center and was flying towards Redding in Calif. A pilot, a nurse and a paramedic were injured in the crash, NBC News reported, citing Sacramento Fire Captain Justin Sylvia. The victims were two females and a male, per the outlet. Sylvia said it was mind-blowing that no one on the highway was injured in the crash, as it occurred in the center of the busy road, according to ABC 7 Los Angeles. People reported that they basically saw the helicopter kind of going down quickly. So all the traffic slowed down, Sylvia said, per the outlet. One of the people injured had to be rescued from underneath the helicopter before all three were rushed to local hospitals, according to CNN. Sylvia confirmed that there was no patient on board at the time of the crash. The captain immediately sequestered the help of civilians who were standing around. They were able to lift part of that helicopter out and get that victim out, Sylvia said. Footage posted online showed lanes of traffic at a standstill due to the crash and emergency crews rushing to the scene. Sacramento City Councilwoman Lisa Kaplan told KSNB Local 4 that she was on a ride-along with law enforcement at the time and saw plumes of white smoke coming out of the crashed aircraft. It was really sombering and sobering. I am up flying with sheriff pilots that do this day in and day out. And it really makes you grateful for every day and grateful for our officers and our medical pilots, Kaplan told the outlet. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. Sacramento Fire Captain Justin Sylvia said it was fortunate that the helicopter did not catch fire after crashing. It being jet fuel that's loaded onto these aircraft, it would have been a very hot and intense fire, he said, per NBC News. The eastbound lanes were closed following the incident, CNN reported. Michael Harper, a California Highway Patrol spokesman, told the outlet that the road would be shut for an extended period of time. The California Highway Patrol is working alongside the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration to investigate the crash and to arrange the wreckage’s removal, per ABC News. REACH Air Medical Services posted a statement on Instagram saying, We are aware of an accident involving a REACH Air Medical helicopter on Highway 50 in Sacramento this evening and are keeping all those impacted in our thoughts and prayers. 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, the statement continued. We will continue to provide information as it becomes available. There was no patient on board. We appreciate the concern and support from our community and will share updates when appropriate, the statement concluded. California Highway Patrol, the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration, Sacramento Fire Department and REACH Air Medical Services did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Oct. 7.