Moorpark CHP officer awarded governor's Medal of Valor for off-duty rescue

Jeremy Childs, Ventura County Star
·2 min read
California Highway Patrol Officer Ryan Ayers
California Highway Patrol Officer Ryan Ayers
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A Moorpark California Highway Patrol officer was awarded the 2023 Governor's Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor, the highest honor presented by the state of California to a public safety official.

The local lawman was one of only two CHP officers statewide to receive the 2023 award.

Officer Ryan Ayers, a 13-year veteran of the CHP who has been stationed at the Moorpark office since 2015, was presented with the medal by Gov. Gavin Newsom during a ceremony on Feb. 3 in Sacramento.

Ayers was submitted for consideration by Lt. Jeremy Key, commander of the Moorpark CHP office, for an incident Ayers responded to while he was off-duty in San Luis Obispo on Aug. 6, 2021.

"We never know when we're going to get called to act," Ayers said.

Ayers was driving his wife, mother-in-law and children along Highway 101 when he witnessed the aftermath of two semis that had crashed. One semi was stopped in the center median, while the other had run off the side of the roadway.

Ayers pulled over and climbed down a hillside to rescue the driver of the second semi.

The big rig was carrying a flatbed trailer with pallets strapped on. Smoke rose from the engine compartment. Ayers tried to open the driver's door, but it had been too badly damaged in the crash.

Ayers then maneuvered around the pallets and opened the passenger door. The driver was slumped over the steering wheel, unconscious and bleeding.

Ayers cleared debris out of the cab. Encroaching flames threatened both men as Ayers unbuckled the driver to carry him out. The driver regained consciousness once he was out of the cab.

Shortly after Ayers and the driver started walking away from the wreckage, the semi burst into flames.

Ayers stayed with the driver until local firefighters and paramedics arrived on scene.

"I'm definitely humbled that I was honored for that," Ayers said. "Law enforcement is a profession, but it's also a way of life."

Also honored was CHP Officer Kenneth Weckman for the December 2021 rescue of a baby from a Marysville canal.

From left: CHP Coastal Division Chief Mark D’Arelli, CHP Officer Ryan Ayers, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Lt. Jeremy Key, who leads the Moorpark CHP office, at the Governor's Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor ceremony on Feb. 3.
From left: CHP Coastal Division Chief Mark D’Arelli, CHP Officer Ryan Ayers, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Lt. Jeremy Key, who leads the Moorpark CHP office, at the Governor's Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor ceremony on Feb. 3.

Jeremy Childs is the East County Reporter for the Ventura County Star, covering the communities of Thousand Oaks, Moorpark and Simi Valley. He occasionally covers courts, public safety and breaking news. He can be reached at 805-437-0208, jeremy.childs@vcstar.com, and on Twitter @Jeremy_Childs.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Moorpark CHP Officer Ryan Ayers awarded Governor's Medal of Valor