Thousand Oaks Man Honored as Civilian Hero

He calls it “no big deal,” but Eric Oliver’s decision to reach inside a burning car and rescue a man trapped there last March was enough to prompt Los Angeles Dist. Atty. Gil Garcetti to name him one of eight civilian heroes Wednesday.

Tucking his certificate of recognition under one arm, Oliver headed back to work selling cars at Kirby Oldsmobile in Ventura after the ceremony.

Oliver, 27, received the Los Angeles district attorney’s Courageous Citizen Award, an honor for citizens who have exhibited courage in the face of danger.

“These are all individuals who put themselves on the line for people they didn’t even know,” Garcetti said. “There are also many others that deserve this award that have never been acknowledged.”

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Oliver, a Thousand Oaks resident and former Navy petty officer, said he was just doing what came naturally when he ran to the aid of victims involved in a drunk driving accident on the San Diego Freeway near the Imperial Highway.

“I was heading back to the base in Coronado when I saw this huge orange flame from the explosion,” Oliver said.

A car driven by a drunk driver had slammed into another car, breaking open a gas tank and causing an explosion that ignited the two vehicles.

Oliver stopped his car, jumped across the center divider, and ran to a burning vehicle where a man was trapped inside. Burning his own arms, Oliver pulled the man out.

“They weren’t bad burns, you know kind of like when you burn yourself on the stove or something,” he said Wednesday.

The man was burned over 35% of his body and was choking, so after Oliver pulled him from the burning wreckage he administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The injured driver survived the crash.

“He was in pretty bad shape. I guess he would have been burned up if I hadn’t got to him,” Oliver said.

After a road worker arrived to look after the victim, Oliver and another bystander rescued two women trapped in the other vehicle by lifting the dashboard of the car that had pinned them in their seats.

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Along with Oliver, Garcetti recognized two South-Central Los Angeles men--Billy Jackson, 53, who foiled a mugging, and Ronald Thompson, 47, who chased down an armed robber. Michael Stark of Santa Monica was honored for preventing another robbery, and four men--Marty Spivak, Joel Samuels, Paul Berry and Anthony Gates--were honored for stopping two purse snatchers in Bellflower.

Oliver echoed the sentiments of his fellow honorees after picking up his award saying, “I ain’t no hero.”

Times correspondent Mike Krikorian contributed to this story.