State troopers spend their careers helping others and saving lives. The following stories are just a few examples of the heroic actions of state troopers.

Christmas Day Miracle

Just as their shift was ending early on Christmas morning 2012, New York State Troopers Richard Ellis and Douglas Burdick received a call regarding a driver traveling south in the northbound lane of Interstate 81. Knowing that they were in the vicinity of the vehicle’s expected path, the two troopers raced off in separate patrol cars in hopes of intercepting the driver. Fortunately the traffic was light and the troopers were able to locate the vehicle, an SUV driven by an intoxicated 25 year old woman. She seemed to look directly at the troopers with their flashing lights and sirens, but did not respond to repeated commands to pull over. Eventually, the two troopers were able to run the SUV off the road and into the median, ending the ordeal with no injuries to any of the parties involved.

Deer in the Headlights

Although collisions between animals and vehicles are not uncommon, they are not usually captured on film. In one incident in October 2011, a collision between a deer and a Minnesota State Patrol Trooper car was captured by the on-board recording system. Photographs of the incident show that the deer’s head and antlers broke completely through the windshield. The trooper reportedly sustained minor injuries, and the Minnesota State Patrol used the incident to remind drivers of the dangers associated with deer/vehicle collisions.

Just In Time… Again

On February 19, 2012, Massachusetts State Trooper Allyson Powell arrived at the scene of a fiery crash on an elevated interstate ramp and spotted the driver of the wrecked truck lying unconscious, perilously near the flaming wreckage. Despite thick smoke and heat that was so intense that it damaged the ramp structure, Trooper Powell pulled the man to safety. This is not the first time Trooper Powell has saved a person from danger. In 2010, she rescued another driver from a burning vehicle, an action for which she received a Carnegie Hero Fund medal.

Young Trooper Saves a Life

Twenty-two year old Missouri State Trooper Andy Ward was the first officer to arrive at the scene of an accident involving an elderly woman whose car had hit a culvert and burst into flames. The woman was unresponsive and trapped. With the help of several bystanders and another trooper who arrived on the scene Trooper Ward dove headfirst through the car window, freed the woman’s leg and pulled her from the wreck. His actions were credited with saving the woman’s life, who, according to her daughter, did not sustain a single burn from the January 11, 2008, accident.

On Thin Ice

In November 2010, off-duty Colorado State Trooper Dan Haley happened to be in the right place at the right time when he saved a boy who fell through the melting ice on a pond in Greeley, Colorado. The boy and two friends had been playing near the ice-covered pond when somehow a cell phone belonging to one of boys slid out of reach on the ice. When the boy attempted to retrieve the phone, he fell through the ice and his clothing quickly became waterlogged. Trooper Haley leapt into the pond, grabbed the boy’s pant leg and pulled him to safety. Because of his heroic actions, Trooper Haley was awarded a Carnegie Hero Fund medal.

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Wesley Grogan has been a state trooper for 15 years. He was happy to offer his input during the creation of the How Do I Become A State Trooper? guide.