Helicopter on the Highway

It was about noon when my News Gathering Partner for the day, reporter Caron Myers and I were ready to head to lunch, but the sirens in the distance told us something was up.

We hopped back in the newscar and pumped up the volume on the fire/police scanners and almost right away heard the 911 dispatchers announce the magic words...



"181, Air Care has a 10 minute E-T-A."

"10-4 C-Com," a medic communitcated back to the 911 center, "The L-Z will be the North Bound Lanes of Interstate 85. Be advised that 85 is shut down from exit 91...all three lanes are closed."



There was never any doubt or communication about the fact that we were heading to the wreck.

We arrived as the Air Ambulance from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem landed on the 3 lanes of empty Interstate.

Air Care's crew was picking up a female who was thrown out of her vehicle after she lost control making a lane change while headed up the interstate on her lunch hour.

The car had careened off the road coming to an abrupt stop against a tree.



The Davidson County EMS crew quickly worked to stabilize the patient transfering her to the awaiting Huey in about 7 minutes after it landed.

No word on the extent of injuries.

UPDATE: The victim transported via AirCare in this accident was listed in serious condition on Wednesday morning. She was a back seat passenger in the car and was thrown out through the back window.