A REACH air ambulance takes off from a field behind Sentry Market to transport a crash victim to the hospital as another helicopter prepares to do the same on Sunday, August 24, 2008, in Nice. Photo by Harold LaBonte.

NICE – A crash that occurred late Sunday morning on Highway 20 resulted in four people being injured, with three of them transported from the scene by helicopter.

The California Highway Patrol reported the two-vehicle, head-on collision occurred shortly before noon on Highway 20 at Hammond Avenue.

Firefighters from Northshore Fire, Lakeport Fire and Cal Fire responded to the scene.

The two vehicles involved were a late model white Toyota full-size pickup and an older Mercury Lynx station wagon. The collision left the pickup on its side with debris from both vehicles scattered across the roadway.

Rescuers used the jaws of life to extricate three injured people from the station wagon.

All three of the station wagon's passengers were transported by REACH air ambulance to emergency care.

The crash victims were taken by ambulance to the helicopter landing zone, a field a short distance away behind Sentry Market.

The first air ambulance left about 12:20 p.m., with two other helicopters leaving within another 20 to 30 minutes later.

The Toyota's driver was treated at the scene.

The names of those involved were not available Sunday.

CHP reported that the roadway was cleared by 2 p.m.

E-mail Harold LaBonte at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The head-on crash left a Toyota pickup on its side on Highway 20. Photo by Harold LaBonte.

It took about two hours to clear the crash scene, where four people were injured and the vehicles blocked the highway. Photo by Harold LaBonte.

Firefighters had to use the jaws of life to extricate three people from a station wagon involved in the crash. Photo by Harold LaBonte.

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