Caltrans Equipment Operator II

Department of Transportation

12/28/2022

Special Service Award (Silver)

On December 28, 2022, surrounded by mountainous terrain and steep drop-offs, Equipment Operator II Ken Myers was patrolling his area in the Sierras on eastbound I-80 between Drum Forebay Road and Blue Canyon when he spotted smoke just above the exit. Mr. Myers immediately responded to the location and found a vehicle on fire. Five of the six passengers were outside of the car. Some were wandering around while the others were lying on the ground, bloodied and injured. One was almost scalped with severe cuts on his head. With a language barrier impacting communication, Mr. Myers went directly to the door of the vehicle and found the driver trapped and semi-conscious. Flames were quickly rising around and under the vehicle’s hood and dash. He hastily grabbed a fire extinguisher from his truck and set to work on putting the flames out. Shortly after, colleagues Equipment Operator II Bruce Perry and Darrell VanNatta arrived on the scene to assist in battling the fire. Their combined efforts kept the fire at bay long enough to allow CAL FIRE to arrive and extinguish the fire before cutting the injured driver out of the car. The heroic acts of the three Caltrans employees—jumping into harm’s way, approaching the burning car and extinguishing flames while not knowing if the car would explode—were remarkable. This quick action from a trio of Whitmore Maintenance crew members is credited for saving the life of the driver. A Placer County Fire Department Captain stated that he believes with 100 percent certainty that if the Caltrans employees were not there providing lifesaving efforts, the driver of the vehicle would have perished or suffered life-altering burn injuries. The State of California takes great pride in presenting the Silver Medal of Valor to California Department of Transportation, Caltrans Equipment Operator II Ken Myers for his heroic service extending above and beyond the normal call of duty.