Melissa Handley
Officer
California Highway Patrol
11/4/2001
Special Act Award (Gold)
California Highway Patrol Officer Melissa Handley, on November 4, 2001, performed an act of heroism at risk to her own personal safety when she pulled an accident victim from the path of a speeding vehicle.
At approximately 7:10 a.m., Officer Handley was dispatched to the scene of a traffic collision on the Cherry Avenue Signal Hill collector road for southbound Interstate 405 Freeway, in the city of Long Beach. The driver, Ms. Nora Rojas, lost control of her vehicle on the collector road, which was wet from a recent rainfall, and collided with a guardrail. Her vehicle became disabled and blocked the collector road. Fluid from Ms. Rojas' vehicle spilled onto the road, creating an additional hazard. Officer Handley notified the Los Angeles Communications Center and requested additional assistance to close the collector road. She activated the emergency lights on her patrol car to warn approaching traffic of the impending hazard. As Ms. Rojas walked toward the patrol car, she was talking on her cellular phone, inattentive to oncoming traffic. At the same time, a Chevrolet pickup truck, driven by Mr. David Green from Long Beach, came over the crest of the collector road at an excessive speed. Mr. Green's vehicle went into an uncontrolled skid as he tried to avoid Ms. Rojas and her vehicle. Realizing Ms. Rojas was in danger Officer Handley quickly exited the patrol car, grabbed Ms. Rojas and pulled her away from danger. The pickup truck narrowly missed Officer Handley and Ms. Rojas and collided with the open patrol car door before slamming into Ms. Rojas' vehicle.
At approximately 7:10 a.m., Officer Handley was dispatched to the scene of a traffic collision on the Cherry Avenue Signal Hill collector road for southbound Interstate 405 Freeway, in the city of Long Beach. The driver, Ms. Nora Rojas, lost control of her vehicle on the collector road, which was wet from a recent rainfall, and collided with a guardrail. Her vehicle became disabled and blocked the collector road. Fluid from Ms. Rojas' vehicle spilled onto the road, creating an additional hazard. Officer Handley notified the Los Angeles Communications Center and requested additional assistance to close the collector road. She activated the emergency lights on her patrol car to warn approaching traffic of the impending hazard. As Ms. Rojas walked toward the patrol car, she was talking on her cellular phone, inattentive to oncoming traffic. At the same time, a Chevrolet pickup truck, driven by Mr. David Green from Long Beach, came over the crest of the collector road at an excessive speed. Mr. Green's vehicle went into an uncontrolled skid as he tried to avoid Ms. Rojas and her vehicle. Realizing Ms. Rojas was in danger Officer Handley quickly exited the patrol car, grabbed Ms. Rojas and pulled her away from danger. The pickup truck narrowly missed Officer Handley and Ms. Rojas and collided with the open patrol car door before slamming into Ms. Rojas' vehicle.