Officer

California Highway Patrol

9/19/1996

Special Act Award (Gold)

On September 19, 1996, at approximately 11:08 am, Officer Karla was on an enforcement stop northbound on US 101 south of State Route 25 in unincorporated Santa Clara County. A citizen stopped at Officer Karla’s location and advised him of a major injury collision at the intersection of State Route 25 and Bloomfield Road. Arriving at the scene, Officer Karla observed a tractor/trailer combination and a Jeep Cherokee blocking both directions of State Route 25 just north of Bloomfield Road. Officer Karla, a departmental Emergency Medical Technician, retrieved his EMT kit and approached both vehicles. He contacted the tractor/trailer driver and determined he was uninjured. He then focused his attention on the driver of the Jeep who had sustained major facial and neck injuries. Officer Karla gained access to the driver of the Jeep through the right front door as the left side of the vehicle was inaccessible. As Officer Karla began to assess the driver’s injuries, a citizen advised the officer the engine compartment was on fire. Officer Karla returned to his patrol unit for the fire extinguisher. As he returned to the Jeep, he observed the fire spreading to the entire undercarriage of the Jeep. The fire was beginning to enter the passenger compartment. As Officer Karla re-entered the Jeep, the driver reached his arms toward Officer Karla. Officer Karla lifted him out of the seat, over the center console and extricated him from the vehicle. Officer Karla carried the driver approximately 50 feet when the vehicle exploded completely engulfed in flames. Officer Karla resumed medical attention to the driver until the paramedics arrived.