Officer

California Highway Patrol

7/15/2025

Special Act Award (Gold)

On the night of August 29, 2024, Officer Jesse Rogers was conducting a routine patrol when he received a call from the Redding Communication Center about a crash near State Route 44 and Airport Road. Officer Rogers arrived at the scene around 1:00 a.m., where he saw a woman frantically waving her arms in the middle of the eastbound lane. She told him that she was one of four people involved in a single-vehicle crash and that her mother was still trapped in the right front seat of the vehicle. Officer Rogers located the vehicle on the shoulder of the road. As he approached the vehicle, he saw flames spreading across the car. The male driver was lying on the ground against the vehicle, and another male passenger was seated nearby, unable to move. Officer Rogers immediately turned his attention to the trapped female passenger. The vehicle's damage made it impossible for him to open the door. The woman, conscious but in distress, told him that her legs were trapped, and she could not move. Without hesitation, Officer Rogers grabbed the fire extinguisher from his patrol car and tried to put out the flames, but the fire and smoke quickly worsened. As the flames spread, Officer Rogers accessed the rear hatch of the vehicle to try to free the woman. The heat was so intense that the vehicle's interior began to melt onto the woman's hair and face, as well as Officer Rogers' hands and arms. Despite the escalating danger, Officer Rogers wiped the burning plastic away from her face with his bare hands, as she screamed in fear and pain. The situation became increasingly dangerous as the ground around them also caught fire. Realizing the immediate threat of the spreading fire, Office Rogers made the difficult decision to disengage from the trapped woman and focus on rescuing the other two injured individuals. He dragged both men away from the now fully engulfed vehicle. Officer Rogers tried to update the communication center about the situation but was unable to speak due to the severe heat and smoke inhalation he had suffered. While selflessly risking his life to save others, Officer Rogers endured third-degree burns to his right hand and fingers, heat and smoke inhalation, and a torn meniscus in his left knee. Sadly, the female passenger succumbed to her injuries. However, Officer Rogers’s brave actions were instrumental in saving the lives of the other two individuals involved in the crash. His unwavering courage, dedication and tireless commitment to his duty were beyond measure. The State of California takes great pride in presenting the Gold Medal of Valor to California Highway Patrol, Officer Jesse Rogers, for his extraordinary act of heroism extending far above and beyond the normal call of duty.