Officer

California Highway Patrol

6/15/1999

Special Act Award (Gold)

California Highway Patrol Officer Sean A. Nava, on June 15, 1999, performed an extraordinary act of heroism while off duty at risk to his life when he attempted to free the driver of a vehicle which left the roadway, struck a propane tank, and burst into flames. On June 15, 1999, at 9:35 p.m. on Old Castle Road, 9 miles east of Old Highway 395, in an incorporated area of San Diego County, off-duty Officer Sean Nava, encountered a solo traffic collision. The vehicle, driven by Mr. Eleazar F. Santaana, ran off the road, hitting a residence and a propane tank, and burst into flames. Mr. Santaana was unconscious, and trapped inside the vehicle. Officer Nava notified the California Highway Patrol Dispatch Center, and provided vital information to responding emergency personnel. Without regard to his own personal safety, Officer Nava along with a citizen, made repeated attempts to free the trapped driver from the vehicle. Due to the intensity of the fire, and the fact that the driver’s legs were pinned inside of the wreckage, Officer Nava was unable to extricate the driver before the vehicle became completely engulfed in flames.