Retired Patrol Officer Fighting for His Life After Helicopter Crashes onto Busy Highway

A retired California Highway Patrol officer is fighting for his life after a dramatic medical helicopter crash on a major Sacramento highway earlier this week.

Chad Millward, a veteran pilot who spent nearly 30 years with CHP, was flying a Reach Air medical chopper on the evening of October 6 when the aircraft suddenly went down on Highway 50. The crash, which played out in front of stunned drivers, left Millward and his two crew members critically injured.

Also on board were Flight Paramedic Margaret “DeDe” Davis and Flight Nurse Susan “Suzie” Smith. As of Friday, October 10, Reach Air confirmed that Millward and Davis were in critical but stable condition, while Smith remained in critical and unstable condition.

“Our thoughts are with Chad, DeDe, Suzie, and their families during this challenging time,” Reach Air said in a statement. “We remain committed to supporting their recovery and respecting their need for privacy and healing.”

The helicopter went down in a harrowing scene captured on dashcam footage, which shows it falling rapidly from the sky before smashing into the shoulder of the highway and sliding across multiple lanes into the median. Miraculously, no cars were hit.

Eyewitness videos show a flood of good Samaritans rushing toward the wreckage, trying to help lift the crumpled helicopter to free those inside. Their immediate actions may have helped save lives.

CHP issued a statement expressing support for Millward and the crew, calling the crash “a tragic event that has deeply affected our law enforcement and emergency response communities.” The agency highlighted Millward’s service and heroism, noting that he received the Governor’s Public Safety Medal of Valor for his life-saving actions during the 2017 Atlas Fire.

Millward and his flight partner at the time, Phil Agdeppa, rescued 41 people from the deadly wildfire, including 15 people, five dogs, and two cats they saved personally.

The cause of the crash is now under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, which is standard procedure in any aviation incident of this scale.

As the community rallies around the victims and their families, there’s growing recognition of the risks these emergency responders take every day—not just on the ground, but in the sky, too.