DOTHAN, Ala (WDHN) — Three Dothan-based State Troopers received Lifesaving Awards for “heroic acts that saved the lives of others.”
The awards were presented during a ceremony at the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Headquarters in Montgomery on Tuesday, November 7.
Trooper Adkinson and Houston County Deputy Dustin Oswalt were on the scene of a vehicle crash on Highway 84 when another vehicle drove off the road, sped down an embankment, and crashed into Bear Creek nearby.
After realizing what happened, Adkinson and Oswalt immediately jumped into action, with Adkinson breaking the rear window of the quickly submerging car to communicate with the woman, who had a broken knee.
Trooper Adkinson then pulled the woman from the car, and Oswalt assisted Adkinson in getting the woman safely on the bank of the creek.
Senior Trooper and ALEA Public Affairs Officer Kendra McKinney received an award for her work in late December 2022 when she helped someone pulled over on the side of Highway 84 with a gunshot wound.
After discovering the wounded victim in the car, Trooper McKinney immediately called an ambulance to the scene and found the bleeding wound near the back of the victim’s leg. She then began applying first aid by cutting the victim’s pants and placing an emergency trauma bandage on top of the wound, which stopped immediate bleeding.
The victim was soon transported to Southeast Health via Wicksburg Fire and Rescue.
To receive the Lifesaving Award is a huge honor and I am very grateful and honored to be acknowledged by the agency.
Senior Trooper and ALEA Public Affairs Officer Kendra McKinney
Senior Trooper Christopher Carlton was the last Dothan-based Trooper to receive a Lifesaving Award for their work. He was commended for his efforts in February when he responded to a crash on Highway 84 and found a trapped driver and injured child.
When Trooper Carlton arrived on the scene, he found the car had struck a tree with the driver entrapped and a 4-year-old child with a severe head injury. Since two patients were on the scene, Trooper Carlton was advised he would need to call a second ambulance but took matters into his own hands.
The trooper and a nurse who had arrived on the scene transported the child in Carlton’s patrol vehicle to a local hospital. The 4-year-old was stabilized upon arrival.
“Your families deserve our deepest appreciation and respect. The training you receive and everything you do on a daily basis are to ensure you return home safely to your loved ones. No one serves alone, and none of us could do what we do without the support of our families. These awards are for the remarkable achievements and the lives you have saved, which is a true testament to your dedication as public servants of our great state,” Secretary Hal Taylor said while speaking to the recipients.
Six other Troopers from across Alabama also received the Lifesaving Award:
- Senior Trooper Jonathan Soto – Mobile Post
- Senior Trooper Vu Quang – Birmingham Post
- Senior Trooper Travis Smith – Evergreen Post
- Corporal Freddie Ingram – Marine Patrol (Central District)
- Tactical Flight Officer Wayne Barlow – Aviation (Montgomery Hanger)
- SAS Don Carter – State Bureau of Investigation (Montgomery/ Opelika)
Corporal Jeremy Alford from the Mobile Post received the Purple Heart Medal of Honor.
