A medical helicopter struck power lines and went down while it was responding to a fatal car crash in Ohio.
Dispatchers in Butler County reported that as a result of the car crash, believed to have been between two pickup trucks, one person died and three were injured.
Sheriff’s deputies and fire officials from Butler County responded to the area on US 127 following reports of the crash between the trucks, which took place at around 4.18am Tuesday, Fox19 reported.
Three medical helicopters were called to the scene and dispatchers said there was an issue with one of them. Only one of the aircraft was needed in the end.
An Ohio State Highway Patrol dispatcher said the helicopter “crashed into utility power lines”.
Butler County Chief Deputy Anthony Dwyer told Fox19 that one of those on the helicopter suffered “an unknown injury” and was taken from the area in an ambulance while the other two crew members were treated at the scene for minor injuries.
Troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol responded to the helicopter crash following a request from the Butler County Sheriff’s Office.
Mr Dwyer confirmed that the person who died had been in one of the trucks.
“Early this morning, a CareFlight helicopter operated by Air Methods Corp responding to a vehicle accident in Butler County contacted wires and experienced a hard landing”, CareFlight said in a statement to Fox19.
“The patient was not on board the aircraft, and the three crew were able to safely exit the aircraft”, the company spokesperson said. “The crew has been taken to a hospital for a medical evaluation.”
“Air Methods has contacted the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration, and will be working through the investigation process with these agencies”, they added. “The safety of patients and crew is of the utmost importance to us. We are grateful that no one was seriously injured in this incident.”
Following the crash into the power lines, around 400 people in the area lost power but it has since been restored, Butler Rural Electric said on its site.
