Congressman Mike Garcia on Tuesday honored two deputies from the Lancaster Station of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) for their efforts in rescuing a civilian from a burning vehicle last year.
On Tuesday, August 15, 2023, at approximately 2:36 a.m., Sergeant Collin Reddy and Deputy Jeremiah Nurse each responded to the intersection of 15th Street West and Avenue J-10, Lancaster.
While on patrol, Sergeant Reddy noticed that a “sudden blackout” had plunged the streets into darkness. Realizing that this could not have happened without reason, he began to search nearby. He soon came across the bright glow of a burning vehicle.
“As I was driving away, I noticed the accident scene and found the vehicle overturned on an electrical box,” said Reddy.
The vehicle struck a power box and landed on its side before bursting into flames, according to LASD body camera footage. The driver was still inside the vehicle.
The assistant nurse soon arrived to assist and helped Reddy brave the heat and potential explosion hazard to pull the man from the flames.
According to an LASD press release, Reddy and Nurse subsequently “showed extraordinary bravery … as they pulled a man from a burning vehicle without regard for his safety.”
“It was horrible. But what was going through my mind was, ‘This man has a family, he’s one of our citizens of our county.’ We want to make sure he comes home one way or another,” Nurse said.
Garcia, whose jurisdiction includes Lancaster and Santa Clarita, honored the two LASD employees with a Community Champion Award Tuesday night at the College of the Canyons Performing Arts Center in Santa Clarita.
“We need more of you, and God bless you,” Garcia said.
Nurse and Reddy are the first recipients of the award, which will be given quarterly to first responders.
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