A tribute to the emergency services personnel that lost their lives when Trooper 2 went down in heavy fog and rain. A terrible tragedy to say the least. The news story:
Maryland State Police have confirmed the identifications of the victims from the crash involving a State Police helicopter early this morning in Prince Georges County. The deceased victims are identified as Stephen H. Bunker, 59, of Waldorf, Md., the State Police pilot; Trooper First Class Mickey C. Lippy, 34, of Westminster, Md., the State Police flight paramedic; Tonya M. Mallard, 38, of Waldorf, an EMT-B with the Waldorf Volunteer Fire Department, Station 12; and Ashley J. Younger, 17, of Waldorf, who was a patient being transported. The surviving victim of the crash is identified as Jordan A. Wells, 18, of Waldorf. Wells is currently undergoing treatment at the Prince Georges County Hospital Center. At about 11:00 p.m. yesterday, Maryland State Police medevac helicopter, Trooper 2, was dispatched to the scene of a traffic crash in Waldorf. Trooper 2 left its hangar at the Andrews Air Force Base. It was piloted by Mr. Steven Bunker and the flight paramedic was Trooper First Class Mickey Lippy. The crew flew to the crash scene and picked up two patients, Ashley Younger and Jordan Wells. Joining the crew to assist with medical care on the flight to the hospital was Tonya Mallard, who had responded to the scene with the Waldorf Rescue Squad. Trooper 2 lifted off and headed to the Prince Georges Hospital Center. No call came from the helicopter crew notifying helicopter dispatch that they had landed. Just before 12:30 this morning, the State Police Forestville Barracks, the Prince Georges County Police, Prince Georges County Sheriffs Office, and the Prince Georges County Fire Department launched a search for the helicopter. Flight following equipment was used to locate the region of the crash. The crash site was found by police officers on foot shortly before 2:00 a.m. today. The crash site is in a wooded area within the Walker Mill Regional Park, in the 8000-block of Walker Mill Road, in Forestville. The four deceased victims were pronounced dead at the scene. The surviving victim was transported by ambulance to the Prince Georges Hospital Center. Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration were notified and are on the scene. Maryland State Police investigators are also on the scene and are providing any assistance necessary to the federal investigators. Pilot Stephen Bunker had been with the Maryland State Police since 1972. He was a State Police corporal, who retired in 1998 and returned to service as a civilian pilot. He had flown for the Maryland State Police for more than 24 years. He was married and had three children, ages 20, 19, and 16. Mr. Bunker held a commercial pilots license and was a certified flight instructor and a certified instrument flight instructor. He also had a single engine airplane pilots license. Trooper First Class Mickey Lippy was appointed to the Maryland State Police four years ago. He had been in the Aviation Command as a flight paramedic for since April of 2007. TFC Lippy was married. He had recently returned from family leave after the birth of his daughter, who is four months old. Tonya Mallard was a dedicated member of the Waldorf Volunteer Fire Department, at Station 12. She did not hesitate to join the crew of Trooper 2 this morning in their effort to save the lives of their two patients. She leaves behind her husband and two children. The aircraft was a Eurocopter Dauphin II twin jet engine helicopter. It became a part of the State Police fleet in June 1989, and was the second helicopter purchased in the current fleet. The helicopter completed a 100-hour inspection on Wednesday, September 24th. The State Police Aviation Command has grounded all aircraft for at least today. Allied partners in the U.S. Park Police, Delaware State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, and commercial medevac companies will be covering the state today with helicopter services. The Maryland State Police will work diligently with federal authorities to uncover the details of what occurred this morning. Our ultimate goal is to determine what caused the crash and this tragic loss of life. All calls regarding the details or cause of the crash, and any updates concerning the investigation should be directed to the National Transportation Safety Board, at 202-314-6100.
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