4 victims of south AL medical helicopter crash identified

Chad Hammond, Jason Snipes, Stacey Cernadas and Zack Strickland (Photos source: Facebook)

Near the site of the crash investigation (Source: WSFA 12 News)

COFFEE CO., AL (WSFA) - A Haynes medical helicopter crew and a patient were killed in a crash early Saturday morning in Coffee County.

Coffee County EMA Deputy Director James Brown confirmed there were four people aboard the helicopter. The crash happened after the three crew members picked up a patient from a single-vehicle accident on Coffee County Road 606.

The EMA identified the victims as Chad Hammond, Pilot; Stacey Cernadas, Flight Nurse; Jason Snipes, Flight Medic; and Zach Strickland, patient.

The victims will be transported to the Alabama Department of Forensic Science in Montgomery.

Brown said the helicopter went missing in a wooded area in Coffee County around 12:17 a.m. Saturday. The crash scene was found just after 7 a.m. The scene is on County Road 615 near County Road 603 in the Goodman Community.

"We had to wait a little bit before we could send up another helicopter to search because we were having some fog last night," Brown said. "So, that's our first priority and then we go out and of course try to recover any way we can. We setup a command post and from there we sent out search teams in various directions from where we thought it was."

Authorities are trying to determine the cause of the crash.

A Federal Aviation Administration team from Birmingham arrived on the scene early Saturday afternoon. The National Transportation Safety Board is the lead investigating agency and is scheduled to arrive later Saturday.

According to Troy Mayor Jason Reeves, the helicopter was based at Troy Regional Medical Center.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the crew and patient who lost their lives as well as the hundreds of staff and first responders who work with Haynes hand-in-hand across the region,." Reeves said in a statement. "This is a devastating loss for our community and many others in the area. We will continue to pray for those grieving this loss and those who place their lives in harms way daily to keep our communities safe."

Troy Regional Medical Center CEO Teresa Grimes said the hospital is saddened by the tragic loss.

"We will be in prayer for their families as well as the Haynes Ambulance and Flight staff," Grimes said in a statement.

The Alabama Red Cross is supporting the crew who responded to the crash scene.

Haynes Life Flight expanded to Troy in October, adding a helicopter and base at Troy Regional Medical Center to support 10 south Alabama counties.

The company has another helicopter based in the Wetumpka area.