VSP Trooper Awarded Carnegie Hero Medal for Saving Girl’s Life
December 29, 2009 | Virginia News
RICHMOND – Virginia State Police Trooper Kurt J. Johnson is among the 23 individuals from throughout the United States and Canada to be named as a recipient of the esteemed CARNEGIE MEDAL. The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission gives the medal to those who risk their lives to an extraordinary degree while saving or attempting to save the lives of others.
“Kurt James Johnson saved Destineé N. Davis in Pastoria, Virginia, February 6, 2009. Destineé, 3, was a passenger in a car that, at night, left the highway, overturned onto its roof, and caught fire. Her mother escaped the wreckage with two other children. On routine patrol nearby, Johnson, 43, state police trooper, responded to the scene on seeing flames there. Alerted by her mother that Destineé remained in the vehicle, Johnson used his fire extinguisher against flames that issued from the vehicle's exposed underside and engine area. With flames persisting, being fed by leaking gasoline, Johnson then opened the rear door on the passenger side of the vehicle. Although the passenger compartment was filled with dense smoke that precluded visibility, he crawled inside and maneuvered to the front. Finding Destineé under the dashboard, he grasped her by her jacket and hugged her to himself. He maneuvered back to the opened door and exited the car. Flames spread throughout the vehicle. Destineé was hospitalized for treatment of her injuries, and she recovered. Johnson also required hospital treatment, for smoke inhalation, and he too recovered.”“Our troopers commit acts of heroism on a daily basis across the Commonwealth,” said Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Virginia State Police Superintendent. “But, in Trooper Johnson’s case, he clearly went above and beyond the call of duty and is most deserving of this prestigious recognition. Virginia should be proud and privileged to have a trooper of Kurt Johnson’s caliber on patrol protecting its residents.” The heroes announced Dec. 22, 2009, bring to 9,327 the total number of awards since the Pittsburgh-based Fund's inception in 1904. Commission President Mark Laskow stated that each of the awardees or their next of kin will also receive a financial grant. Throughout the 105 years since the Fund was established by industrialist-philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, $32 million has been given in one-time grants, scholarship aid, death benefits, and continuing assistance. More information on the CARNEGIE MEDAL and the history of the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission can be found at http://www.carnegiehero.org.
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