The incident occurred as the helicopter was taking off after a SAMU medical team intervention: during liftoff, the pilot struck a tree branch with the rotor, causing the aircraft to become unstable.
The pilot was then forced to make a hard landing on the road.
None of the four people on board were injured, and no patient was in the helicopter at the time. According to RTL information, Air Rescue officials said the aircraft sustained significant damage. It is being towed and will be out of service for the time being.
The original road accident injured three people in total, who were taken to hospital by ambulance. A car had attempted to overtake a truck, causing two oncoming vehicles to swerve and fall down an embankment.
