Traffic Officer

California Highway Patrol

10/11/1987

Special Act Award (Gold)

Traffic Officer Joe Rojas saved a woman trapped in the back seat of a burning vehicle involved in a five-car collision in the Baldwin Park area. Gasoline, spilled from the tank of one of the vehicles, was already burning when Officer Rojas reached the scene. He used his fire extinguisher to get through the dense smoke and flames and then pulled the woman to safety just before the car was a conflagration.