JALAPA, S.C. – Four people died when a medical helicopter crashed in a heavily wood area of Newberry County on Tuesday morning, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System's (search) helicopter crashed about 5:55 a.m. just off Interstate 26, hospital spokesman Betsy McMillan said.
A pilot, flight nurse, paramedic and a patient were on the helicopter when it came down, McMillan said.
Newberry County Emergency Medical Services (search) had requested the helicopter, which was dispatched at 5:34 a.m., McMillan said.
"It's U.S. Forest land, there are not a lot of roads cut in there," Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster said.
A rest area on I-26 was being used as a command post, Foster said.
The crash site was about 50 miles northwest of Columbia.
There was no indication what caused the crash, McMillan said. Weather conditions were fair in the area, according to the National Weather Service (search) 6 a.m. report.