A fellow Caltrans employee is thanking three District 2 maintenance employees for their heroic acts in helping save her grandson from a crash on State Route 3 last December. Cheryl Jackson, who works in the Office of Environmental Support, says her grandson, Casen Rivero, remembers very little of the crash but what he did remember is seeing “an orange man with a beard” following the crash.
In an email sent to the three men, Cheryl said, “I can’t image what could have happened to him if you hadn’t seen his truck off the road. It took over a week for a crew to get his truck to a tow yard because of the conditions”. Casen luckily suffered only minor injuries including a concussion, broken ankle, and various cuts and bruises. “If I could give you each a million dollars I would,” added Cheryl.
On the night of December 26, 2021, Scott Davidson, and Equipment Operator II on the Hayfork Maintenance crew, was plowing snow heading south on Highway 3, south of Hayfork. It was snowing heavily, and visibility was very limited. He noticed tire marks that appear to lead off the roadway and stopped to investigate. He found a pickup truck down the embankment into a tree, with the driver pinned. Scott notified dispatch and stayed with the driver to keep him calm and provided clothing to keep him warm.
A short time later, Trevor Gipson, a former Equipment Operator II for the Platina Maintenance crew, arrived to assist. He helped with aiding the driver and clearing the area for emergency crews to access the vehicle and individual.
Following that, Jeremy Maraviov, an Equipment Operator II for the Hayfork Maintenance crew, arrived on scene. He worked with Trevor taking turns assisting the driver, supplying clothing to keep him warm, and keeping him calm and awake. They also continued clearing access for emergency personnel and removing portions of the vehicle to help with extrication. All the while Scott kept the area plowed and applied material for traction to keep the area safe.
Once CAL FIRE arrived, Trevor and Jeremy assisted by stabilizing the vehicle, clearing a trail for access, and helping to get the individual to the ambulance following extrication. Trevor then plowed the roadway in front of personnel to get them safely to Hayfork.
All three men were honored with the Silver Governor's State Employee Medal of Valor during a ceremony in Sacramento on June 21, 2023.