Video: Texas Troopers Presented with Lifesaving Awards for Heroism

Newly released video from the Texas Department of Public Safety shows troopers saving the lives of Texans. The videos, released as part of a request through the Public Information Act, show two separate cases that later earned the troopers Lifesaving Awards from agency leaders.

In February, Newton-based Trooper Calvin Starkie responded to a one-vehicle crash, to find the SUV on its side, off the road, in a creek area difficult to access. His body camera video shows him call for back up, provide first aid to a local police officer who was hurt trying to help the injured driver, and secure the vehicle with a firefighter when help arrived.

The video shows Starkie climb onto the hood, cut out the windshield, and use the "Jaws of Life" to free the driver, reports everythinglubbock.com .

DPS director Steven McCraw presented Starkie with a Director's Citation in August. McCraw honored five other troopers with Lifesaving Awards, including Trooper Briar Cordova, for his involvement in saving a woman who was attempting suicide on a bridge on April 17 in Amarillo.

In a statement, McCraw said August's honorees "represent the true definition of public servants who are dedicated to saving lives, protecting the public and their communities, and making Texas a safer place to call home."