Officer

California Highway Patrol

10/18/1998

Special Act Award (Gold)

California Highway Patrol Officer David A. Valle, on October 18, 1998, performed an extraordinary act of heroism at risk to his personal safety to save a driver who had been pinned beneath her vehicle in a concrete drainage channel.At approximately 10:35 a.m., Ms. Denise D'Emido was driving her 1998 Chevrolet Silverado southbound on Interstate 215 in the number one traffic lane. Ms. D'Emido drifted to the left and partially into the center divider. She overcorrected to the right, losing control of the vehicle, and continued traveling across all southbound lanes of traffic. The vehicle overturned and dropped down a 36-foot embankment, coming to rest in a concrete drainage channel. The impact ejected Ms. D'Emido out of her vehicle and pinned her beneath it.A citizen, Mr. Richard Spinner, witnessed the accident and was the first person to reach Ms. D'Emido. She was semiconscious with major head and chest injuries. Mr. Spinner held her head out of the small stream of water until Officer Valle arrived on the scene. Officer Valle then took over and held Ms. D'Emido's head above the water level. The water level was rising because the overturned vehicle acted as a dam for the running water in the drainage channel. Ms. D'Emido was pinned at the lowest point of the channel, and the water level had increased to approximately two and a half feet. Despite the rising water level, and the potential for the truck to be pushed downstream, Officer Valle bravely maintained his position and kept Ms. D'Emido's head above water. As Officer Valle waited for assistance, the 74-gallon tank from Ms. D'Emido's vehicle began to leak propane into the area making him dizzy and nauseous from propane inhalation.pproximately ten minutes after Officer Valle arrived, Ms. D'Emido was removed from beneath the vehicle by fire and rescue personnel. She was carried up the embankment with assistance from Officer Valle. Officer Valle was also transported and treated at an area hospital for inhalation of the propane.