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Fire District Board Honors Local Hero
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Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District Board President Dave Woods honors Jonathan Carrolls heroism during a January traffic accident, saving the life of a three-year-old passenger in a pickup as flames overtook the vehicle. - photo by Ric McGinnis/The News

Being in the right place at the right time saved a life last month and that heroism was recognized by the Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District Board on Thursday, Feb. 13. The board meeting was held at the Riverbank Station on Topeka Street.

According to the citation presented at the gathering, Jonathan Carroll and his wife Denise were driving behind a pickup truck on Jan. 28 on Albers Road at Dry Creek Bridge, north of Hughson. Suddenly, the truck veered into the oncoming lane, causing a violent head-on collision.

After narrowly escaping the crash, Carroll went to check on the victims to render aid. When discovering the driver of the truck, Chandra Barnard, had no pulse, he also found a 3-year-old boy, Jason, in the back seat of the crew cab pickup, still in his child seat. Carroll pulled the boy from the seat seconds before flames overtook the truck. The boy’s mother died at the scene.

Carroll has 20 years of experience as a paramedic, a flight nurse on MediFlight and now works as an ER nurse at Emmanuel Medical Center in Turlock.

Consolidated Fire Board President Dave Woods presented Carroll with a plaque commemorating his heroism, and Stanislaus County Supervisor Bill O’Brien as well as representatives from Congressman Jeff Denham, Senator Tom Berryhill and Assembly member Kristin Olsen’s offices presented certificates of recognition from their respective governmental bodies.at the board’s meeting at the Riverbank Station on Thursday, Feb. 13.

In addition to Jason, 3, Barnard, a widow, leaves behind two other children Amarra, 8 and Tehya, 11.