CHARLOTTE, N.C. >> Two people have died in a helicopter crash near a North Carolina interstate highway, authorities said.

Mecklenburg County EMS service said today on Twitter that two people were pronounced dead at the scene of the helicopter crash along Interstate 77 in the Charlotte area.

Police said that no vehicles were involved in the incident, while federal authorities stated that two people were onboard the aircraft.

Preliminary witness accounts indicate that the pilot made some “diversionary” maneuvers and “tried to avoid injuring anyone else” and “probably saved some lives,” Johnny Jennings, chief of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, told reporters.

“And if that is truly the case, then that pilot is a hero in my eyes to make sure that the safety and security of those that were driving was not in jeopardy,” Jennings said.

The chief added: “We’re looking at going into the holiday season where we’re supposed to be spending time with our loved ones. And tragically, there are two people involved in this crash that will not be going home and will not be spending the holidays with their family.”

Two people were on board the Robinson R44 helicopter, which crashed around 12:20 p.m. local time, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration.

The National Transportation Safety Board will lead an investigation into the crash along with the FAA.

The crash shut down the southbound lanes of the Interstate.