The Sacramento Police Department named Officer Strautman its 2025 Officer of the Year for his actions during a chaotic incident in October 2025, when a REACH medevac helicopter crashed on Highway 50. The department also recognized Officers Buchanan, Crivellone and Juarez for assisting the California Highway Patrol at the scene, which shut down eastbound lanes and drew significant local attention.
Department Posts Photos, Names Officer Of The Year
The Sacramento Police Department named Officer Strautman its Officer of the Year and highlighted Officers Buchanan, Crivellone and Juarez for what it called "heroic actions" while assisting the California Highway Patrol at the Highway 50 crash, according to the Sacramento Police Department on their Facebook page. The brief announcement paired photos with the department's thanks and a note about Strautman's service within the agency.
What Happened On Highway 50
On Oct. 6, 2025, a REACH Air Medical Services helicopter experienced a sudden in-air emergency and crashed onto eastbound U.S. Highway 50 near Stockton Boulevard, carrying a pilot, a flight nurse and a paramedic. Two crew members were hospitalized, and the flight nurse, Susan "Suzie" Smith, later died, as reported by KCRA.
First Responders And Bystanders Rushed In
Video from the scene showed motorists, CHP officers and firefighters immediately running toward the wreckage. Bystanders and emergency crews lifted part of the helicopter to free a crew member who had been pinned beneath the aircraft. The rapid response by first responders and passersby was highlighted in local coverage, as noted by CBS Sacramento.
Why The Department Honored These Officers
Sacramento Police framed the awards as recognition of cross-agency teamwork and quick on-scene action that complemented CHP and fire crews during a chaotic night. The crash and its rescue response were covered locally, including Hoodline's earlier reporting on the medical helicopter crash on Highway 50, and follow-up reporting from KCRA has detailed preliminary NTSB findings and the ongoing federal probe into a possible power loss aboard the aircraft.
The department did not provide any additional details about the Oct. 6 rescue beyond the Facebook post, but the recognition underscores how officers who were first on scene and who supported CHP and fire crews have become part of the public narrative about that night. Federal agencies including the NTSB and FAA continue to investigate the crash, according to local coverage from CapRadio.
