By HALLIE GOLDEN and AUDREY McAVOY, The Associated Press

Just minutes after a medical helicopter crashed onto a California highway, Sacramento Fire Capt. Peter Vandersluis found himself directing an impromptu response team of about 15 drivers to lift the wreckage off a paramedic trapped underneath.

When Vandersluis shouted “lift,” they raised the aircraft. When he ordered “hold,” they kept it elevated.

“Just out of instinct — the people were there willing to help, and they didn’t hesitate and followed my exact commands,” Vandersluis told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “And we were able to lift it up with ease.”

The paramedic, as well as a nurse and pilot on board, were taken to hospitals in critical condition after Monday evening’s crash on State Route 50 east of downtown Sacramento.

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