SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A West Virginia first class trooper is being honored for his quick action in saving a Virginia man’s life.
State police recently presented the Lifesaving Award to Trooper First Class C. S. Maynard for an incident that occurred on January 8, 2014 in Frederick County, Va.
Maynard pursued a vehicle along Interstate 81 when James Poland, the driver, crashed into the interstate wall. When Maynard approached the vehicle, Poland was stabbing himself in the neck.
Maynard instructed Sgt. Jarrett Jones of the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department to TASE Poland in order to stop further injury. He was then able to secure the knife from Poland, sprint to his police cruiser to grab bandages, applied them and controlled the bleeding until EMS arrived at the scene.
Poland was taken to R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
Trooper Maynard received the Lifesaving Award from West Virginia State Police Superintendent Col. Jay Smithers at a recent ceremony at State Police headquarters in South Charleston.