California Highway Patrol Officer

California Highway Patrol

12/13/2015

Special Act Award (Gold)

On December 13, 2015, at 1:47 a.m., Officer Jason Smith and his partner monitored a radio transmission from California Highway Patrol Dispatch of a traffic collision with an ambulance responding on US-101 southbound in Morgan Hill. Officer Smith and his partner responded and arrived on the scene of a fatal traffic collision. Officer Smith saw several civilians standing around a motionless body near a burning car. He immediately exited his vehicle and ran to check the welfare of the person outside of the burning car. Officer Smith determined the person was likely deceased, and was subsequently notified by the civilians at the scene that there was an unconscious woman inside of the car. Due to the intense heat and smoke, the bystanders at the scene had not made any attempt to rescue. Without hesitation and with no regard for his own safety, Officer Smith ran to the car and saw the woman slumped over in the front passenger seat. Officer Smith broke the passenger side window and encountered thick black smoke, flames, and intense heat within the car. With the assistance of an unidentified civilian, he reached inside and pulled the woman from the burning car through the passenger side window. As a result of this incident, the woman sustained facial fractures, liver lacerations, and a fractured rib. With no regard for his own safety, Officer Smith’s heroic act saved the life of an unconscious woman from a burning car. The State of California takes great pride in presenting this Gold Medal of Valor to California Highway Patrol Officer Jason Smith.