Alec Larson didn’t have heroism on his mind when he saw a car crash catch fire on Colorado Highway 82 in April 2024. 

The carpet cleaner by day came upon the wreckage moments after the accident occurred. He instantly rushed towards the burning metal, scissors in hand, unconcerned for his own safety. 

His swift thoughts and heroic actions saved two lives on that April day. Larson was awarded the Carnegie Medal for Heroism earlier this year in tribute to his herculean effort.

Larson received the award from Rep. Jeff Hurd, R-Colo., during a touching ceremony at Glenwood Springs City Hall on Friday afternoon. He was surrounded by friends, family, the family involved in the crash, and local and state representatives to honor his act of bravery. 

“Only a few thousand people in the history of our nation have received this recognition,” Hurd said during Friday’s ceremony. “Each one represents the very best of us — people who act not out of obligation, but out of love and instinct to protect others. Each of us will face moments of crisis or indecision, and we all hope that when the moment comes we will make the right choice. Alec had that moment, and when it came, he responded with courage, with clarity, and with selflessness.”

Larson received the 3-inch bronze medallion on Friday afternoon, the back engraved with a short statement about the act of heroism. 

“It is really cool,” Larson said. “I’m still in disbelief that all of this has gotten this far. This was a small thing that happened on a small highway in Colorado, and now we’re getting national recognition. I’m still kind of floored and trying to wrap my head around all of it.

“The best part about today was being able to share the honor with my family,” Larson said. “This was such a cool experience to be able to share with my daughters, and now they have something to go brag about at school to all their friends.”

He ran into the smoke and flames to find 30-year-old Jessica Tucker and her infant son. 

Larson pulled out Tucker first, helping her towards safety while listening to her shouts about her six-month old son. Larson was unable to breach the passenger side door before instantly readjusting and climbed through the trunk to find the infant in a rear-facing car seat. 

Larson struggled with the strap before tearing through the seatbelt with his scissors, snatching up the child and bringing him to safety. Just seconds after the rescue was completed, the entire car was engulfed in flames. 

“This is one of the greatest parts of being the congressman for this district,” Hurd said. “The word hero is thrown around a lot in our culture today, but Alec is truly a hero. Being able to honor him for such a selfless act of bravery and to see him and his family and the lives he saved is an extraordinary moment that I’m just honored to be a part of it.”

Tucker was hospitalized from broken bones and other injuries from the crash while Larson and the infant walked away uninjured.  

“It was all kind of a blur, you know?” Larson explained. “It wasn’t until after the fact that I was able to soak it in and realize what had happened. I still drive by the site every day, so having that reminder helps me remember what happened, but during the moment I just knew I had to jump out and run over there.”

The honor, bestowed to civilians throughout the United States and Canada who risk death or serious injury in an attempt to save another, has a rich history dating back to the early 1900s. 

The commission, created by the legendary steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie, was conceived to honor those who Carnegie called the “heroes of civilization”. 

“Because Alec acted in that instant, Jessica and her son are alive today,” Hurd said. “We’re here to honor not only the outcome, but the choice Alec made when everything was on the line. Your actions reminded us that heroism is not something abstract or distant, it can be found right here when ordinary people make choices in extraordinary circumstances. 

“Thank you for showing us what it looks like to face that unexpected moment and respond in the right way. Thank you for reminding us of the power of selfless action, and thank you for giving us hope in a world often marked by division and fear.”

On top of the recognition for the act of heroism, medal recipients receive one-time grants, scholarship aid, death benefits, and continued assistance. 

“Not seldom are we thrilled by deeds of heroism where men or women are injured or lose their lives in attempting to preserve or rescue their fellows,” Carnegie wrote in the opening line of the commission’s 1904 Deed of Trust. 

The commission was created following the 1904 Harwick Mine disaster outside of Pittsburgh. According to the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, two men heard about the explosion and immediately showed up to help search for survivors, but eventually suffocated in the mine due to residual toxic gasses. 

Less than a month after the explosion, Carnegie donated $40,000 to the Harwick relief committee, and less than a month after that, he signed the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission Deed of Trust with his wife as witness. 

In the 121 years since the Harwick Mine disaster, the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission has honored 10,510 individuals who risked their lives for that of another, and donated more than $45 million in one-time grants, scholarship aid, death benefits, and continued assistance. 

Larson joins the legendary Robert Veltus as the second Garfield County resident to be bestowed with the prestigious award. 

Veltus, who saved an 8-year-old boy in the Roaring Fork River by holding onto him through two sets of rapids, was awarded the Carnegie Medal posthumously. 

The boy was later rescued 2 miles downstream in the area now known as Veltus Park. 

Friday’s ceremony was only further indicative of Larson’s selfless nature. The volunteer firefighter is always looking out for the safety of others because of a personal journey that has brought him through hell and back. 

In 2019, Larson lost his 5-year-year-old daughter, Sophia, to a preventable drug overdose while she was with her mother. Since then, Larson has been working tirelessly to raise awareness about child safety and substance abuse. 

In 2024, Larson released a documentary titled “Lost Innocence: The Story of Sophia Larson,” to further spread awareness of child overdose. 

Now, as prosecution cases are over, Larson is starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

On Friday, he was surrounded by his mom, wife, and three children who all got to take in the experience together after a lengthy journey. 

“Now, we’re heading over to the courthouse,” Larsen said after Friday’s ceremony. “They’re dedicating a room in the DA’s office to my late daughter. It is really cool how it has all come together at once. It’s been a long, long road back but to be able to celebrate this is special.

“My girls keep me pushing. I’m the sole income, and I take care of my wife who stays at home with our new baby. Being able to make sure that they’re surviving in this valley that’s getting more expensive helps me keep pushing. If you go about your life grumpy, it just makes everything that much longer and more stressful. You just have to try to live with the moment and keep rolling with it.”