A helicopter crashed into a Southern California home Tuesday, leaving two injured and at least three dead.
According to the CBS News, authorities responded to the crash at around 2 p.m. in Newport Beach, California, shortly after the helicopter departed from John Wayne Airport. Officers have confirmed there were four people onboard as well as a number of residents inside the home at the time of the crash. The identities of the victims have not been revealed.
Officials told CBS News that none of the residents appeared to be injured, but police did say that one of the deceased was on the ground. Two of the victims were rushed to the hospital with unspecified injuries.
An unidentified witness told CBS News that he saw the helicopter “drop like a rock.” He also claimed that he saw who he believed to be the helicopter pilot lying on the ground alive.
“We tried to pry them out but we didn't want to touch them,” the witness said. “We didn't want to take a chance of hurting anybody. The three people were all crunched in there together. One I could see moving an arm.”
Photos of the scene show the aircraft struck the yard and a wall of the home. It’s currently unclear what triggered the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are in the midst of conducting an investigation.
