San Bernardino County Fire Department Mechanic Dale Sandoval was presented with the Medal of Valor by Sheriff Rod Hoops at the Sheriff's Exceptional Service Awards Ceremony held April 1st for his heroic actions at a traffic collision.

On January 8, 2009, at about 1:30 p.m., in the face of incredible danger and working under tremendous risk of personal injury or death, Dale, along with Sheriff's deputies and a private citizen, combined efforts to save the lives of several people injured during a traffic collision.

The incident unfolded when a Sheriff's sergeant witnessed a violent traffic collision on State Route 62 in Morongo Valley. A resident of Yucca Valley was driving eastbound on SR 62 in a Chevrolet Express work van at about 65 MPH when his attention was diverted due to police activity in the area. The driver failed to notice a Chevrolet Suburban slowing to make a turn and slammed into the rear of the Suburban; immediately engulfing both vehicles in fire. Both vehicles, tangled together, slid across traffic lanes and into a large dirt berm.

Utilizing fire extinguishers, nearby deputies rushed to the burning vehicles and tried to extinguish the blaze. The Sergeant was able to pull the passenger from the burning Suburban. Despite the deputies efforts, sadly the driver of the vehicle perished in the fire.

The driver of the Van was also trapped. Industrial equipment in the back of the van had shifted forward in the collision, crushing a metal screen that separates the cargo area from the passenger compartment, forcing the driver's seat forward and effectively pinning the driver between the steering wheel, the driver's seat and the metal screen. Deputies tried freeing the driver to no avail.

Although only minutes had passed since the collision occurred, the fire had now spread from the Suburban and was beginning to consume the engine compartment and front of the van in which the driver was still trapped. Fire extinguishers kept the fire at bay for a short time.

Mechanic Dale Sandoval and another passerby stopped to assist deputies with the extrication of the driver. "These citizens displayed extraordinary courage, stepping into the midst of a burning car wreckage and exposing themselves to possible injury or death from fire, explosion or further collisions", stated Sergeant Casas.

As the incident continued to unfold, each rescuer repeatedly placed themselves into harms way in their effort to reach the driver. They tried to enter through the passenger’s side of the van, opening the door against the vehicle damage, only to find the driver trapped to such an extent that he could not be freed through this approach. They entered the equipment filled cargo area of the van and attempted to reach the driver by forcing open the metal cargo compartment divider but found this access point blocked by heavy tools and industrial equipment, as well as by the immovable metal screen. fire had reacBy this time the fire had reached the passenger compartment of the Van, reaching the driver. As the fire intensified, explosions from the tires on the burning Suburban ripped through the scene. Burning debris sprayed across the scene, forcing Dale, the citizen and deputies to back away.

With time running out and no rescue equipment at their disposal, and all efforts to rescue the driver failing thus far, Dale, the citizen and deputies made one last, seemingly impossible effort to save the trapped driver. Moving to the back and sides of the burning van, they pulled the van approximately 30 feet out of the tangled wreckage by hand. They were then able to extinguish the flames and pull the driver out the broken driver's side window.

The passenger of the Suburban survived and has recovered from his wounds. Unfortunately the driver of this vehicle did not survive. Thanks to the heroic efforts of all involved, the driver of the Van survived and is recovering from his wounds.

The heroic and selfless actions of Dale, the citizen and deputies, while repeatedly placing themselves in imminent peril, prevented a tragic accident from taking two additional lives.