A motorcyclist was flown by helicopter to an area trauma center following a serious crash Jan. 20 on the 7000 block of 195th Avenue East Court in Bonney Lake, according to a press issued by East Pierce Fire and Rescue.

East Pierce crews responded to the single-vehicle accident around 4:30 p.m.

Typically patients are transported by medic unit to the hospital, but an Airlift Northwest helicopter happened to be returning to Olympia from Seattle and was able to quickly divert to Bonny Lake.

An East Pierce crew transported the patient to a landing zone at Allan Yorke Park to meet the chopper.

“By the time we got to the park, they were landing,” East Pierce Lieutenant Marc Lash said.

The patient was transported to Tacoma General with life-threatening injuries.

Bonney Lake Police Department is investigating the cause of the crash. Officials said the motorcyclist was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.