California Highway Patrol Officer

California Highway Patrol

11/3/1978

Special Act Award (Gold)

At approximately 1:22 a.m., CHP officers Robert Routh and Charles Hughes were ticketing a man on the Pomona freeway shoulder near the Nogales St. off-ramp in Rowland Heights, when a car driven by a young woman was struck from behind by another car. The officers told the man they were ticketing to follow them in his car to the crash scene and he did. The car that had been hit crashed down a 15 foot embankment and burst into flames. They were able to pull the driver out from the flaming wreckage as soon as they got to the scene, however, in order to pull out the sixteen year old boy who was trapped inside, the officers and the citizen had to upright the flaming car. Both cars were burning, but the driver of the second vehicle was able to get out on her own. The young boy was reported in critical condition and the young woman was treated for second degree burns and smoke inhalation. The helpful citizen did not receive a ticket.