DENVER (KDVR) — A U.S. Army Sergeant 1st Class in the Colorado Army National Guard is set to be given the Soldier’s Medal for heroism on Wednesday for actions he took in August 2023.
According to the Colorado National Guard, U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert F. Cruz, 8th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team, Colorado Army National Guard, saved a man’s life while headed home from work on Aug. 30, 2023.
Serving Those Who Serve
Cruz was driving when he witnessed a four-vehicle crash. One vehicle reportedly veered off the road to avoid the initial collision of two vehicles, then rolled several times into oncoming traffic and hit a fourth vehicle. The Sergeant 1st Class pulled over and began assessing the people inside the vehicles in front of him.
That’s when the rolled vehicle burst into flames. Cruz reportedly rushed over to the burning vehicle, where he found the driver unconscious and bleeding from a head wound. Cruz checked that there was no one else in the vehicle, then climbed into the rolled vehicle, unbuckled the driver and moved the driver to a safe distance from the burning vehicle…