Medical Flight Down In Heavily Wooded Area

A medical helicopter that had just picked up a patient injured in a hit-and-run accident crashed Tuesday in Jalapa (SC). All four people on board -- including the female patient -- were killed.

The helicopter went down in a heavily wooded area near an I-26 rest stop, where the crew had picked up a woman who'd suffered multiple injuries in the accident.

Regional One, a Bell 407, was based at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center. Hospital officials confirmed the pilot, 41-year-old Bob Giard, the flight nurse, 38-year-old Glenda Tessnear, and the paramedic, 31-year-old David Bacon, Jr. had all been killed. The patient's identity wasn't released, according to WIS-TV.

Trucker Johnny Williamson, who had parked at the rest stop when the accident occurred, at about 0530 Tuesday morning. told the television station, "When it got above the trees, I heard a big boom. Then I didn't hear no more chopper."

When he got to the crash scene, along with emergency responders, Williams said the Bell 407 was "in pieces, explosion. Never seen nothing like it, never. And I travel all over the country. I have seen many, many wrecks. The first time ever for that."

FMI: www.faa.gov