Maintenance Supervisor

Department of Transportation

3/1/2018

Special Service Award (Silver)

On March 1, 2018 around 5:00 p.m., California Department of Transportation Maintenance Supervisor Lonnie Swartout was widening a small turnout on the Trinity County Highway using a snowplow when he noticed tire marks in the snow berm. As he parked his truck, he radioed crew members working in the area to determine if they knew of someone getting stuck at this location. While waiting for the crew members to respond, he exited his vehicle to look over the embankment. He heard someone screaming for help below and saw a vehicle down the bank approximately 60 - 70 feet. Mr. Swartout immediately began manually cutting a path through the snow using a shovel and called for assistance from California Department of Transportation’s Highway Maintenance Worker Benjamin Anderson and Highway Maintenance Leadworker Thomas Britt, along with the California Highway Patrol and medical support. He continued to make the shoulder as wide as possible for the incoming responding agencies. When Mr. Anderson arrived, he looked over the embankment and noticed a sport utility vehicle on a dangerous slope overturned on its side. He reported two passengers, a man inside of the vehicle and a woman outside of the vehicle. Mr. Swartout met Mr. Britt at a turnout location near the accident site and took him to the scene. He also took care of the traffic control and continuously worked to cut a path through the snow with a shovel to the woman’s location to help get her up the slope while Mr. Anderson, Mr. Britt, California Highway Patrol, ambulance and fire crew administered aid to the passengers. They toiled to get the man out of the vehicle and up the slope which took an extended period of time due to his size and need to cut into the vehicle to extricate him. Mr. Swartout and the rescue crew members were at the accident site for approximately six hours in extreme cold temperature, steep terrain, and difficult access to the highway. With no regard to his own safety, Mr Swartout went above and beyond the call of duty. The State of California takes great pride in presenting this Silver Medal of Valor to California Department of Transportation Maintenance Supervisor Lonnie Swartout.