COMPTON – Three people are dead after a Rockford Memorial Hospital REACT helicopter flying to a hospital in Mendota crashed in a field in Compton in Lee County, an FAA spokesman said in a recorded message Monday night.

The crash occurred around 8:30 p.m. near Melugins Grove and Stainbrook roads immediately south of Bresson Airport, which is just south of the intersection of U.S. Route 30 and state Route 251 intersection near Rochelle, two Rockford TV stations reported.

The copter was on its way to pick up a patient. There were no patients on board, the three dead are crew members, WTVO and WIFR reported.