Presidio Assistant Maintenance Supervisor Jesus Hernandez (L), seven years at TxDOT; and Crew Chief Jose Ruben Hernandez, 20 years at TxDOT. (TxDOT photo)

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) awarded the Extra Mile Awards at their annual Texas Transportation Short Course in College Station. The Extra Mile Award recognizes employees who have acted heroically to help a fellow Texan in need. An employee who receives this award has saved someone's life or attempted to save another life while on the job or on the employee's own time or acted in a heroic manner to prevent injury to another person or to diminish a life-threatening situation.

This year recipients included Presidio Assistant Maintenance Supervisor Jesus Hernandez (seven years at TxDOT) and Crew Chief Jose Ruben Hernandez (20 years at TxDOT). The pair rescued a stranded motorist in a low water crossing.

The crew received the call for assistance from the Presidio County's Sheriff's Office about 9 p.m. May 27 and were not surprised, both had been working low water crossings and were expecting that same creek to run in the middle of the night, so they left the section maintainer stationed on that creek. The Terneros Creek, as it is called is one of the biggest low water crossings in the Presidio section of FM 170.

The plan was simple: get the maintainer, drive in, load the stranded motorist and drive back out — all while remaining safe. As they drove deeper into the water, they noticed the water was running rapidly, easily three feet deep and was rising. They also noticed the stranded motorist was a Border Patrol Agent. Ruben drove up beside the agent's truck as close as he could without contacting the machine and the agent's truck. Jesus climbed out in front of the maintainer's front section and stood on the moldboard. Ruben rotated the moldboard towards the agent's truck as Jesus reached out for her. The agent grabbed Jesus' hand and he helped her onto the machine and secured her. Without the assistance of the TxDOT team, the agent would have remained in grave danger potentially being swept away.

"These employees embody the selfless, caring, responsive demeanor we strive to achieve every day in our roles to serve others," said TxDOT El Paso District Engineer Tomas Treviño. "They didn't think twice about stopping to render aid and this was especially important in such a remote area of our District."

The first Extra Mile Award was presented in 1983. Recipients are recognized publicly and receive a plaque.

This is not the first time staff from the TxDOT El Paso District have been recognized. Staff members were recognized in 2008, 2015, 2018 and 2022.

This is the third Extra Mile Award for Jose Ruben Hernandez.

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