Environmental Planner

Department of Transportation

8/7/2008

Special Service Award (Silver)

At approximately 3:15 p.m., on August 7, 2008, California Department of Transportation employees Brandon Larsen and Brett Gronemeyer were returning to their office in Eureka after a field review in Fort Bragg. On Route 1, in a very remote area of Mendocino County, they came across an SUV with its hazard lights on and blocking part of the roadway. They pulled over to lend assistance and noticed two ropes tied to the vehicle’s axle dangling over the edge of the road into the canyon. When they looked over the edge, they saw two people standing next to an injured woman sitting approximately one hundred feet down the canyon side, and a motorcycle at the bottom of the canyon. Mr. Gronemeyer and Mr. Larsen immediately returned to their vehicle to get safety vests and helmets. Mr. Larsen worked his way down the steep hillside to the injured female motorcyclist and the two motorists who had stopped to help. The motorcyclist had injuries to her left leg and foot, including a severe laceration on her heel and possible broken bones. Mr. Larsen suggested they stabilize her and wait for an ambulance, but she wanted to get off the side of the hill. He tied one of the ropes to her and helped her up the steep hillside, while one of the motorists helped guide her injured leg to prevent further injury. When they arrived back at the road, Mr. Larsen stabilized the woman by stopping the bleeding and bandaging her heel. Meanwhile, Mr. Gronemeyer, who had remained at the roadway, had directed a motorist to call for an ambulance and the CHP once phone service was obtained and had moved their vehicle to a more visible location to warn oncoming drivers of the hazard. He directed traffic around the parked vehicles, which posed a significant hazard due to the narrow roadway and blind corner. With the motorcyclist stabilized, Mr. Larsen turned his attention to helping Mr. Gronemeyer with traffic control until the ambulance arrived. The quick, decisive actions of these two Caltrans employees were responsible for the rescue and stabilization of this accident victim and prevented further collisions and injuries from oncoming traffic.