CHP Officer

California Highway Patrol

11/3/2007

Special Act Award (Gold)

"On November 3, 2007, at approximately 1:30 a.m., California Highway Patrol Officers Aaron Taylor and Kelley Walker responded to a call of an injury accident on westbound State Route 178 in Bakersfield. Upon arrival, they found an overturned car on fire with two citizens attempting to rescue a man trapped inside. While the intensity of the heat forced the citizens away from the car, Officers Taylor and Walker approached the car, grabbed the man’s legs and dragged him to a safe area, just as multiple small explosions began to fully engulf the car. While removing the man, Officers Taylor and Walker saw that his head, right arm, and torso were on fire. One of the citizens attempted to extinguish the flames with a shirt, which Officer Walker subsequently used to smother the fire. But the man’s body reignited, so Officer Walker used bottled water to put out the flames. Officers Walker and Taylor triaged the man’s burns and provided first aid to two other occupants of the vehicle, including the driver, who had been ejected during the roll-over accident. Due to the heroic efforts of Officers Taylor and Walker, the man survived despite severe burns to his head and upper torso. The two occupants were treated at a medical center and released; the driver was taken into custody for driving under the influence. "