Officer

California Highway Patrol

9/11/2009

Special Act Award (Gold)

On September 11, 2009, California Highway Patrol Officer Salvador Gutierrez and his partner, Officer P. Holt, responded to a call of a vehicle overturned on southbound Interstate 5, north of the Santa Margarita River bed near San Diego. At the collision scene, Officers Gutierrez and Holt found a Lincoln Navigator and a Dodge Ram pickup with major collision damage. While Officer Holt assisted the occupants of the pickup, Officer Gutierrez ran to help the driver of the Lincoln who was trying to escape from his vehicle through the driver's side window but couldn’t because his legs were trapped. As Officer Gutierrez reached the Lincoln, the driver's compartment area suddenly erupted into flames, engulfing the man’s lower extremities. Officer Gutierrez reached in through the driver’s side window, grabbed the driver, and began to pull in an attempt to free him from the vehicle and the rapidly expanding flames. With the driver’s legs on fire, Officer Gutierrez was able to free the driver, drag him to safety away from the now fully engulfed vehicle, and extinguish the flames on his legs. The driver was transported by air to a nearby hospital and treated for third degree burns to his lower extremities, a broken jaw, and inhalation burns. The actions of Officer Gutierrez, without regard for his own safety, saved the life of the man. The State of California takes great pride in presenting to Officer Salvador Gutierrez, Jr., this Gold Medal of Valor, for his extraordinary act of heroism extending above and beyond the normal call of duty or service.