State Traffic Officer

California Highway Patrol

7/4/1993

Special Act Award (Gold)

At approximately 1:30 a.m., Officers John D. Davis and Andrew Engelbrecht were dispatched to an accident site of SR99 north of Wilson Landing Road in Chico. When they arrived they observed a pickup in a walnut orchard about twenty-five feet from the roadway edge. The pickup had hit a large walnut tree head on and the engine was on fire. Officer Davis ran to the pickup and observed the driver was on the passenger side of the vehicle with his head barely visible above the passenger door window. He was calling for help. The engine compartment was completely engulfed in flames and the fire was beginning to extend up the sides of the front fenders. The driver's side of the vehicle was crushed, preventing rescue from that side. Officer Davis grabbed the passenger side door handle and jerked the handle several times before it would open. The driver was in and out of consciousness and wore a prosthesis on his arm, preventing him from helping himself out of the vehicle. By now the fire had spread into the cab through the firewall on the driver's side. Officer Davis reached into the vehicle and grabbed the victim under the arms and started to pull. Due to the weight of the driver and his feet being lodged under the dashboard, Officer Davis was unable to pull the driver out. After turning the driver over, Officer Davis was able to pull the driver out of the truck. While doing so, the heat and flames became so intense that the rear window exploded and flames began to shoot out of it. Once Officer Davis freed the driver, Officer Engelbrecht assisted in pulling the victim to a safe location. Officer Davis's prompt and heroic action spared the driver's life.