Medical helicopter crash kills crew and patient in Alabama

One patient and three crew members died in a medical helicopter crash on Saturday in Coffee County, Ala., according to the Dothan Eagle.

A Haynes Life Flight helicopter that departed from Troy (Ala.) Regional Medical Center crashed while airlifting an unconscious patient with a broken leg sustained in a single-vehicle car accident. The team was attempting to transport the patient to Baptist Medical Center in Montgomery, Ala.

According to CNN, the victims have been identified as pilot Chad Hammond, flight nurse Stacey Cernadas, RN, flight medic Jason Snipes and patient Zach Strickland.

The exact cause of the accident is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, according to Alabama Public Radio.

Haynes Ambulance is a family-owned company now based out of Montgomery. According to a local NBC news affiliate, in October Haynes Life Flight expanded, adding a helicopter and base at Troy Regional Medical Center to support 10 southern Alabama counties.

Teresa Grimes, CEO of Troy Regional, said in a Facebook post that the hospital "is saddened" by the tragic loss of life involved in the incident, APR reports.

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