Officer

California Highway Patrol

12/25/1981

Special Act Award (Gold)

Officer Benny Hyden was relaxing off duty at home when a neighbor informed him of a serious auto accident in the neighborhood. Officer Hyden telephone the CHP dispatch center before running to the accident scene. He saw a wrecked pickup truck on fire, the flames fed by a ruptured natural gas line,. As the flames shot 20 feet over the truck, Officer Hyden pulled the passenger form the vehicle. He then re-entered the truck cab and after an extensive effort, unpinned the driver's legs and moved him to safety.