Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: November 24, 2011
• Invested on: April 20, 2012

Richard Dufresne, M.B.
Medal of Bravery

On November 5, 2007, Richard Dufresne assisted at the scene of a car accident, in Toronto, Ontario. A vehicle had been struck from behind while stopped at a busy intersection. The driver realized that the force of the impact had injured her passenger, so she sought help from bystanders across the street. Mr. Dufresne, an off-duty firefighter, offered to go with her to check on the passenger. Still in a state of shock, the woman stepped off the curb into oncoming traffic. Mr. Dufresne quickly pulled her to safety, but was unable to get out of the way himself and had his foot crushed by a passing car. Despite the excruciating pain, Mr. Dufresne took control of the scene until emergency services arrived.