POCATELLO — An Idaho State Police Trooper on Thursday received the agency’s second-highest award for heroism in the face of danger.
Cpl. Travis Gurney, a seven-year veteran of the agency, was presented with the Idaho State Police’s Silver Star award for his fearless and heroic actions on the evening of Jan. 4 when he intentionally collided head-on with a suspect who was leading troopers on a high speed pursuit while traveling the wrong direction on Interstate 86 just west of the Pocatello Regional Airport.
Gurney received the award in the presence of his wife and two daughters and numerous colleagues within the Idaho State Police.
“It was a weekday so there was a lot of traffic on the roads,” Capt. Fritz Zweigart said before Gurney received the award. “The woman involved in the pursuit would later say that she thought she was in a video game, that’s how bad this gets. This was such a bad pursuit that we actually had a district meeting about it because in my opinion this is one of the worst situations we can deal with when it comes to pursuits.”
The ordeal began around 6:15 p.m. on Jan. 4 when a Power County Sheriff’s Office deputy attempted to stop the driver of a 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan, later identified as Constance Elaine Vega, 35, of Pocatello, for running a stop sign at the intersection of East County Road and Arbon Valley Highway near the Bannock Peak Casino west of Pocatello, the Idaho State Journal reported earlier this year.
When the officer initiated his overhead lights and siren, Vega entered Interstate 86 eastbound and fled the scene at a high rate of speed.
Vega then lost control of her vehicle temporarily and ended up traveling westbound on the interstate’s eastbound lanes at a speed of 80 mph.
State police troopers then initiated a PIT maneuver on the vehicle, which caused Vega to spin into the median, said police, adding that when she regained control of the car she began heading eastbound on the interstate’s westbound lanes.
“Updated radio communications indicated that the suspect was continuing westbound in the eastbound lanes at a high rate of speed,”Cpl. Bill Gardiner said. “A pursuing police vehicle executed a pit maneuver, causing the suspect's vehicle to enter the median. After another impact, trying to stop the pursuit failed. The suspect changed direction and began traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes on I-86.”
Gurney, while proceeding toward the oncoming Caravan that was traveling the wrong direction, encountered numerous vehicles heading directly toward the wrong-way driver.
“Approximately 20 seconds before the collision, Cpl. Gurney used his emergency lights to move a Pocatello Regional Transit passenger bus out of the left lane,” Gardiner said. “Having just passed a semi and recognizing the immediate danger to the public, Cpl. Gurney slowed down and strategically positioned his vehicle in the path of the oncoming wrong-way driver.”
Gardiner continued, “As the vehicle approached at approximately 70 mph, Cpl. Gurney made slight steering adjustments and turned his wheel 90 degrees to the right at the last moment, diverting a potential head-on impact to the passenger side of Cpl. Gurney’s vehicle.”
The impact forced Vega's vehicle off the roadway and away from oncoming traffic. Gurney then exited his patrol vehicle and assisted other troopers in apprehending the woman.
“It’s an honor to present this award to Gurney today,” Gardiner said. “I really believe that every cop in here will tell you they hate the word hero. Cops are humble when it comes to that, and it makes us feel uncomfortable. But I really believe that when you stop celebrating your heroes, you stop having heroes. And so I think this is a very momentous moment, not only for the state but for ISP, specifically.”
The ISP Silver Star award is presented to troopers who knowingly exposes himself or herself to potential injury or death in order to affect an arrest, prevent injury or death to another person or accomplish a legitimate police objective.
Gurney said that he was prepared to put his life on the line in order to ensure the safety of other motorists on the road that evening — a road that was covered in snow.
“I was just thinking that there were too many people out on the roadway and I couldn’t let someone get hurt,” he said. “I needed to make sure nothing happened to them. I was worried about a person getting killed or seriously injured, and honestly, at that moment, I was focusing on keeping everyone behind me safe and making sure nothing happened to them.”
Gurney said this incident was one that will stick with him for quite some time, describing it as one the most bizarre scenarios he’s been involved in as a trooper.
“It’s not a normal position to put yourself in,” he said. “I've responded to multiple serious injury crashes, fatalities, out-of-control subjects, been in multiple pursuits and use-of-force scenarios, but this one was beyond anything I ever done. “I actually was making the decision as I was responding to put everybody else first besides myself. It was a very different situation.”
Aside from a large bump on the arm and general soreness all over, Gurney escaped the incident unharmed.
“I got really lucky,” he said.
As a result of the incident, Vega was charged with felony eluding and felony trafficking of methamphetamine after troopers located over 28 grams of the substance inside the vehicle.
She pleaded guilty to the two charges in May and was sentenced to a unified five years in prison in June.
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