Investigative Officer

California Highway Patrol

3/4/1996

Special Act Award (Gold)

On March 4, 1996, at 2:00 p.m., Officer Humble completed his shift and was traveling westbound on Antelope Road. Officer Humble pulled off the road in response to a stopped vehicle and saw an AMC Hornet partially submerged in the creek and the passenger compartment rapidly filling with water. The vehicle started to float downstream, but stopped when it forced up against a large oak tree. Due to the depth of the water in the vehicle and the glare on the windows, Officer Humble was unable to tell how many persons were in the vehicle. He placed himself in danger by climbing on the roof of the Hornet to assess the situation. The occupants of the vehicle were the driver and one passenger, an elderly woman with Alzheimer’s. Russell Clayton, a correctional officer, also stopped at the scene. He entered the creek and requested the keys from the driver so both officers could evacuate the vehicle’s occupants utilizing the rear hatchback. The vehicle’s front doors could not be opened due to the depth and force of the raging water and the damage sustained in the initial collision. The driver finally gave the keys to Officer Humble. The hatchback was opened, and both officers entered the vehicle from the rear. Officer Clayton pulled the driver out the seat and handed her to Officer Humble, who removed her form the vehicle. She was pulled to safety by bystanders. The elderly passenger was now in shoulder deep water an mumbling incoherently. She panicked and would not release the steering wheel or the door handle. As the water continued to enter the vehicle, the officers were able to break her grip. Officer Clayton pulled her over the front seat, and Officer Humble pulled her out through the hatchback and, with the assistance of bystanders, onto the bank. Being a plain clothes investigator, Officer Humble did not have any special safety equipment with him at the time of rescue. Both officers were persistent in their struggle to remove a resistant Alzheimer’s patient from a submerging vehicle. Knowing his duty as a sworn peace officer and moral obligation to protect life, Officer Humble placed himself in danger above the normal course of duty by entering the practically submerged vehicle to save the two women from drowning. In what could have been a tragic accident, Officer Humble and Officer Clayton ultimately saved both driver and passenger.