O'Fallon Police Officer Ryan VanWave has received the prestigious Carnegie Medal for Heroism by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission in Pittsburgh, PA. Officer VanWave received the award for his actions in saving a person from a burning vehicle following an accident on Highway K.

Officer VanWave was one of only 20 individuals in the entire country to receive this prestigious award.

The Carnegie Medal for Heroism was established by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie in 1904. The medal is given annually to individuals who have risked their lives to an extraordinary degree in attempting to save the lives of others. Officer VanWave was the only recipient from the State of Missouri.