Albemarle County Police Officer Paul Quillon received the 2018 Award for Lifesaving from Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police. The award is in recognition of his bravery and service in rescuing a driver trapped inside a flaming vehicle following a crash on Garth Road in Albemarle County.
The Board of Supervisors recognized Quillon at its meeting this week.
“Our police department works tirelessly to keep Albemarle County safe,” said Ann Mallek, Chair of the Board. “We are grateful to Officer Quillon for his persistence and bravery that morning and for his kindness and compassion every day on the job.”
On March 23, 2017, Quillon was the first officer at the scene of an early morning single vehicle crash on Garth Road in Albemarle County. The vehicle had left the roadway and struck a tree. Officer Quillon observed that the vehicle was on fire with one person trapped inside.
Quillon first attempted to put out the flames with his fire extinguisher, but was unsuccessful due to the size of the fire. Quillon attempted to free the driver, whose legs were trapped beneath the dashboard, twice on his own. On the third attempt, he was able to extract the driver and pull her to safety. As he moved her to a safe location, her clothing was smoking from the heat. Within seconds of freeing her from the vehicle, it was engulfed in flames.
“There is no doubt that Officer Quillon saved a life that day, ” shared Chief of Police Ron Lantz.
The Award for Lifesaving, given each year by the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police, recognizes an officer’s actions that put the officer in harm’s way in the attempt to save the life of another individual.
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