Agent, Trooper Honored for Saving Man From Car Explosion

The two were among 12 people from across the country recognized for valor

A Vermont-based investigator for the Department of Homeland Security and a Vermont State Police trooper are being recognized for saving a man from a car explosion.

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson presented the 2015 Department of Homeland Security Secretary's Award for Valor to Burlington-based Special Agent Christopher Pandolfi and State Police Sgt. Karl Gardner Thursday during a ceremony in Washington.

Pandolfi and Gardner helped lead an elderly man away from the rear of a burning vehicle on Interstate 89 on Feb. 25. The man had previously suffered a stroke and was having difficulty walking.

The two were among 12 people from across the country recognized for valor. In a statement, Johnson said the people who received the awards performed beyond what is expected.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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