On Tuesday, Troy White, of Brentwood, was presented with the Carnegie Medal during the Board of Supervisors Meeting.
White was honored after he pulled a 3-year-old child from a burning vehicle after a car crash on Highway 4. The crash occurred back on May 22 on Highway 4 just prior to the I-160. As White was passing the accident, he pulled over and ran towards the vehicle. He realized a child was still in the car. He pulled the child out before it exploded.
Carnegie Hero Fund Commission:
Troy White rescued a 3-year-old girl from a burning vehicle, Antioch, California, May 21, 2024. The girl remained strapped in her car seat in the back of a burning sport utility vehicle after it crashed and flipped over on the shoulder of Highway 4. White was driving by with his girlfriend and his daughter when they saw the SUV on fire. He pulled over and ran to the vehicle, which lay on its passenger side with the undercarriage burning near the engine compartment. The girl’s mother, the driver, had climbed out of the driver’s side window and jumped to the ground just as White ran up and she yelled for help as he approached. White ran around the back of the SUV and jumped into the broken driver’s side rear window to reach the girl, who dangled in her car seat with her foot against the pavement through the broken window. With his lower body outside the vehicle and his upper body upside down, he unhooked the car seat belt, grabbed her, lifted her out of the SUV and carried her to safety. Several minutes later, fire engulfed the SUV and it exploded. The girl suffered minor cuts to her face. White was not hurt.
During the Board of Supervisor Meeting, White thanked the Carnegie Fund for the recognition, calling it an honor while wishing the young lady he saved well.
“When I met Supervisor Burgis, she was a very genuine person. We actually cried together, it was a very moving moment, so thank you Supervisor for just being who you are and this presentation. I am a believer and I would like to thank God for the opportunity to be there that day. It is really a great honor for this medal. There were 17 other awardees in this round and several of them are not with us today. They gave the ultimate sacrifice. I wanted to pay tribute to those folks. I really hope through the remainder of my life really earn this medal,” said White.
To watch the presentation from the Board of Supervisors Meeting, click here
The Carnegie Medal is given throughout the U.S. and Canada to those who enter extreme danger while saving or attempting to save the lives of others. With this announcement, the Carnegie Medal has been awarded to 10,528 individuals since the inception of the Pittsburgh-based Fund in 1904. Each of the recipients or their survivors will receive a financial grant. Throughout the 121 years since the Fund was established by industrialist-philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, more than $45 million has been given in one-time grants, scholarship aid, death benefits, and continuing assistance.
The following was released by Supervisor Diane Burgis:
Image by Office of Supervisor Diane Burgis
During the Board of Supervisor meeting held Tuesday, October 7, 2025, we honored Troy White with the Carnegie Medal Award.
On May 21, 2024, Troy and his daughter were traveling in their vehicle, when they saw a car flipped on the shoulder of Highway 4 in Antioch. Troy stopped to help, and observed a 3-year-old girl in the vehicle as it was burning. Without hesitation, and risking his personal safety, Troy freed the little girl from the burning car and took her to safety. She suffered minor cuts, and thankfully, Troy was uninjured.
Shortly after this heroic act, I had the honor of meeting him, hearing this heroic story in person, and thanking him personally. I was truly moved by his selflessness and courage. On Tuesday, I had the honor of presenting him with this prestigious award.
Troy is a man who shares the Contra Costa spirit of everyday citizens who step forward in moments of danger, proving that heroes don’t always wear uniforms or have titles. They are everyday women and men who are living examples of heart, courage, and compassion.
Troy White joins previously awarded Contra Costa recipient, Samantha Olive Barnhouse (Antioch, 2019) as the only Contra Costa County recipients of this honor.’
Thank you, Troy. It is an honor and a privilege. Your sacrifice and contribution to our community have, and continue to make Contra Costa County a wonderful place to call home.
To learn more about the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission and the Carnegie Medal Award, please click on the links.
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- June 12, 2024 – Brentwood Honors Man Who Pulled Child From Burning Car
- May 22, 2024 – Brentwood Man Pulls Child From Burning Vehicle on Highway 4