California Highway Patrol Officer

California Highway Patrol

9/12/2008

Special Act Award (Gold)

On September 12, 2008, California Highway Patrol Sergeant John Lago and Officer Allyn Ball arrived on the scene of a head-on collision involving a Metrolink Commuter Train and a Union Pacific freight train in the City of Chatsworth. The collision occurred during the height of rush hour, resulting in injuries and death to many people. In addition to the widespread wreckage from the collision, it had also caused a large fire that quickly began to engulf the freight train and Metrolink locomotives. When Officer Allyn Ball arrived, he ran toward the burning Union Pacific train and crawled under the unstable freight cars in order to access the scene and look for victims. Officer Ball located and provided first aid to a disorientated, injured victim walking near the wreckage. He and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Alfred Guerrero then entered one of the passenger cars where they encountered thick smoke and heat from the adjacent fire. They located more injured victims, provided emergency first aid and assisted them in evacuating the car. Officer Ball was then relieved from the freight car by firefighters. Meanwhile, Sergeant John Lago arrived on scene and ran toward a still burning Union Pacific Train. He climbed into the freight locomotive in an attempt to locate the engineer and searched through the smoky car until he was advised by a fire captain the freight car was about to explode. Once the scene was stabilized, Sergeant Lago re-entered the train with other emergency personnel. Together they formed a human chain to remove the deceased occupants located in the wreckage. At one point a young woman on a stretcher, who was alive but suffering from severe injuries, was handed to Officer Ball. With the assistance of Sergeant Lago and five other CHP officers, Officer Ball and Sergeant Lago carried the young woman on a stretcher through the wreckage to medical personnel. The actions of Sergeant Lago and Officer Ball, without regard for their own safety, prevented further injuries or death to victims involved in this train collision, and were crucial in removing the serious and fatally wounded passengers.