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Four die in West Texas crash of medical helicopter
PYOTE, Texas (AP) — Four people, including a 3-month-old baby, were killed early Sunday when a medical helicopter en route to a Lubbock hospital crashed in rural West Texas. A nurse was critically injured.
The baby, his mother, the pilot and a paramedic died in the crash near Pyote, about 250 miles southwest of Lubbock, said CeCe Wilmes, the director of emergency services and flight services at Medical Center Hospital in Odessa.

The helicopter, based at Odessa's Medical Center Hospital, had left Big Bend Regional Hospital in Alpine about 1:45 a.m. and was headed to University Medical Center in Lubbock.

The dead were identified as Medical Center Hospital CareStar pilot Mickey Price, of Dumas; hospital paramedic Paul Lujan of Midland; Ana Lillia Urias and 3-month-old Pedro Urias Modesto, both of Mexico, hometown unknown, said William Webster, chief executive officer of Medical Center Hospital. The baby was being taken to Lubbock because it was suffering respiratory distress.

Medical Center Hospital registered nurse Ronald Stephens, 35, of Midland, was taken to Covenant Hospital in Lubbock. He was in critical condition, undergoing surgery Sunday morning, Wilmes said.

Wilmes said that the last contact they had with the helicopter was at 2:19 a.m., when he was near Pecos and giving an update on his position.

Wilmes said that Price was giving his flight coordinates to an Odessa Fire Department dispatcher when he said, "Hold on a minute."

A minute later, Price did not respond to the dispatcher

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PYOTE _ Four people, including a 3-month-old baby, were killed early Sunday when a medical helicopter en route to a Lubbock hospital crashed in rural West Texas. A nurse was critically injured.

The baby, his mother, the pilot and a paramedic died in the crash near Pyote, about 40 miles west of Odessa, said CeCe Wilmes, director of emergency services and flight services at Medical Center Hospital in Odessa.

The Bell 407 helicopter, based at Odessa's Medical Center Hospital, had left Big Bend Regional Hospital in Alpine about 1:45 a.m. and was headed to University Medical Center in Lubbock.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating, but it may be some time before they determine what happened, FAA spokesman John Clabes said.

The dead were identified as Medical Center Hospital CareStar pilot Mickey Price, 46, of Dumas; hospital paramedic Paul Lujan, 32, of Odessa; Ana Lillia Urias, 20, and 3-month-old Pedro Urias Modesto, both of Mexico, hometown unavailable, said William Webster, chief executive officer of Medical Center Hospital. The baby was being taken to Lubbock because it was suffering respiratory distress.

Medical Center Hospital registered nurse Ronald Stephens, 35, of Midland, was taken to Covenant Hospital in Lubbock. He was in critical condition Sunday afternoon.

Wilmes said that the last contact they had with the helicopter was at 2:19 a.m., when the pilot was near Pecos and giving an update on his position.

Wilmes said that Price was giving his location to an Odessa Fire Department dispatcher when he said, "Hold on a minute."

A minute later, Price did not respond to the dispatcher.

"At the time it was raining and lightening and thundering," said Kathleen Bartlett, a communications operator for Texas Department of Public Safety in Pecos.

The DPS was called to help locate the helicopter sometime after 3 a.m., officials said.

The helicopter was found shortly after 6 a.m. in a remote area of southern Ward County, Wilmes said.

The mother and child lived in Mexico, but had crossed the border to seek medical help, Wilmes said.

Bartlett said that, according to a preliminary report from DPS, the helicopter turned to the southwest from its northeastern path when it was near Pyote. The report says gusty winds, rain and lightning were in the area at the time of the storm, but it has not been determined if weather was a factor in the accident.

Clabes said that the helicopter was owned by MedTrans Corp. of Bismarck, N.D.

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