4 Caltrans workers honored with California Medal of Valor for life-saving deeds


Four Caltrans employees were rewarded for their heroic and life-saving deeds with the State Employee Medal of Valor Award Tuesday.

Governor Gavin Newsom presented Travis Sutton, Matthew Piña, Ryan Aguirre and James Burkhouse with the award, which a news release described as the highest honor the state can bestow on its public servants.

“Our colleagues Travis, Matthew, Ryan, and James performed brave, selfless acts, putting their own lives at risk to help save the lives of others,” said Caltrans Director Tony Tavares. “I am proud to join Governor Newsom in celebrating their heroism.”

Caltrans Equipment Operator Travis Sutton was recognized for saving the life of a woman after her vehicle went over a snow-covered embankment in Butte County in 2021. Sutton performed a dangerous rescue down steep terrain in extremely cold weather, according to the news release.

Caltrans Highway Maintenance Leadworker Matthew Piña was credited with saving a man’s life by talking him down from jumping off the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in 2021.

Caltrans Highway Maintenance Worker Ryan Aguirre risked his life to pull a coworker out from under a maintenance truck just before it was struck by an out-of-control vehicle. He then offered aid to those injured in the crash.

Caltrans Equipment Operator James Burkhouse used his experience as a former paramedic to save a man’s life when he came across a head-on collision while off-duty in rural San Bernardino County in 2020.

Newsom introduced a series of videos posted to YouTube Tuesday that named all 33 recipients of the 2022 State Medal of Valor award.

Governor Edmund Brown Sr. presented the first State Medal of Valor awards in 1959 to honor courage and selflessness in the face of danger. Since then, more than 700 state employees have earned the honor.


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