‘Give back to your communities’: Son of nurse who died in Sacramento helicopter crash speaks out
By Erica Goldhawk
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SACRAMENTO (KCRA) — A family member of the nurse who died after a REACH medical helicopter crashed on Highway 50 in Sacramento is urging people to honor her legacy by helping others.
Susan “Suzie” Smith died last week from injuries sustained in the Oct. 6 crash. Her son Gabriel Smith recalled to Chico’s Action News Now that the family’s home “was always filled with raucous laughter and an endless supply of fresh faces.”
Smith was known for her dedication to helping others, and she did not want to retire because of the impact she was making, he said.
Her body was returned to Palo Cedro on Sunday, where thousands lined roadways to honor her.
Gabriel Smith said the hospital gave him a printout of his mother’s heartbeat monitor, which he keeps in his pocket to keep her close.
He said he hopes people will honor his mother by helping others.
“I just wanted to, like, try to get the message out. I wanted people to, if there is anything to come of this, just, like, volunteer, like, donate, like, give back to your communities and lift up people in need, because that’s what she would want,” he said.
A celebration of life for Suzie Smith is scheduled for Nov. 15 at the Redding Civic Auditorium.
Two other people are recovering from injuries after the crash, pilot Chad Millward and paramedic Margaret Davis.
Millward’s son reported that his father is still in the hospital but is making good progress, while Davis’s son said she is doing well and they hope she will transition to a rehab center soon.
Both families expressed gratitude for the UC Davis Medical Center staff’s hard work.
The cause of the helicopter crash is still under investigation.
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