Officer

California Highway Patrol

9/13/2019

Special Act Award (Gold)

On September 13, 2019, at approximately 12:47 a.m., California Highway Patrol Officers Matthew Frattaroli and Wesley Tom were dispatched to a commercial vehicle crash on Interstate 5, in the city of Anaheim. The truck tractor and trailer were on fire and bystanders advised the officers that the driver of the truck tractor was trapped inside the burning wreckage. Officer Frattaroli saw the truck driver apparently unconscious within the burning wreckage. Officer Frattaroli used a fire extinguisher to combat the flames surrounding him. Both Officer Frattaroli and Officer Tom climbed into the wreckage to try and pull the victim out of the burning vehicle. Officer Tom used a knife to cut the driver’s seat belt and, with Officer Frattaroli’s help, the officers were able to successfully pull the driver free from the burning wreckage. In total, it took the officers nearly two minutes to successfully free the driver from the burning wreckage while the fire grew around them. Officers Frattaroli and Tom dragged the driver away from the burning truck, to a safe distance, as the truck became totally engulfed in flames. Local fire and rescue provided medical care and transport to a nearby hospital. With no regard for his own safety, Officers Frattaroli went above and beyond the call of duty. The State of California takes great pride in presenting the Gold Medal of Valor to California Highway Patrol Officer Matthew Frattaroli.