5 hospitalized after helicopter crashes in busy oceanfront area of Huntington Beach

Five people were hospitalized when a helicopter crashed in the Southern California city of Huntington Beach on Saturday afternoon. 

It happened just after 2 p.m. local time near the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Huntington Street, according to Huntington Beach firefighters. 

City officials tell CBS News that the two people on the helicopter were safely pulled from the wreckage. Three pedestrians on the street were also injured in the incident, and all five people were taken to the hospital for treatment. 

Police closed PCH between Huntington Street and Beach Boulevard at around 3 p.m., as they began to investigate the crash. They asked people to avoid the area and use alternate routes for at least several hours after the closure was put into place. 

Dramatic video posted on social media shows the helicopter spinning several times before crashing onto palm trees and the outdoor stairway of the pedestrian bridge that runs over PCH. 

With SkyCal over the scene, scattered debris was seen in the beach access parking lot, a large part of which was blocked off by police tape. The tail of the aircraft broke off in the crash, with the rest of the helicopter still wedged between the staircase and palm trees as of 4:30 p.m.

It’s unclear what caused the helicopter to crash. 

This is a developing story. Check back for details.