By Jake Goodrick
The Sacramento Bee
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A medevac helicopter landed Sunday afternoon at a Red Bluff airfield where a collection of first responders and community members waited.
When the skids touched down, a handful of responders in various uniforms carried the flag-draped body of Susan “Suzie” Smith from the kind of air ambulance she worked from for much of her long nursing career, into an ambulance on the ground waiting to drive her to Palo Cedro.
North state community members lined parts of the procession route, according to video from ABC affiliate KRCR, in a show of support for the flight nurse known for her dedication to the nursing profession, a 50-year career that included mission work outside of the country and 20 years working for Reach Air Medical Services in Redding.
Smith, 67, died Friday night after suffering critical injuries when the medical helicopter she was on, operated as Reach 5, crashed into Highway 50 in East Sacramento.
Smith was pinned beneath the helicopter after it struck the ground. More than a dozen motorists helped free Smith when they pushed the body of the aircraft to lift part of it trapping her. She was listed in critical but unstable condition before her death.
The pilot, California Highway Patrol veteran Chad Millward 60, and paramedic Margaret “DeDe” Davis, 66, were also involved in the crash and remained in critical but stable condition as of the last update from Reach.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration.
In Sacramento, police and emergency responders escorted Smith’s body from the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office to Sacramento Executive Airport. An Airbus H135 helicopter took off from that airport and flew Smith to Red Bluff, where the ground procession to Palo Cedro began.
After landing, the procession continued north on Interstate 5 from Highway 36 to Highway 44 near Redding. It then continued east on Highway 44 before taking Deschutes Road to Allen and Dahl Funeral Chapel in Palo Cedro.
Social media posts showed some of the displays of support along the 30-plus-mile route north to Smith’s home. One video shows first responders hanging an American flag to the ladder of a fire truck, which was then lifted above the overpass as the procession crossed.
The Smith family is planning a public celebration of life where community members can pay their respects to Smith, according to a statement from Reach.
To honor Smith’s legacy of mission work, nursing education and other causes, a memorial foundation, “Our Angel That Flies Foundation,” is being established. Donations can be dropped off at any Plumas Bank or mailed to the bank, Attention: Matt Moseley, 192 Hartnell Ave., Redding, CA 96002.
Smith is survived by her husband, RJ; son, Gabriel; daughter, Carli; and several grandchildren.
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