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A Carnegie Hero

David Patrick Rosamilia

Age: 40

Occupation: Part-time police officer, full-time general contractor

Graduated: Altoona Area High School; Johnstown Municipal Police Academy

Family: Single, two children: Andrew, 11, and Alyssa, 10

A part-time Blair County police officer has received the Carnegie Medal for risking his life in an attempt to save the life of a victim of a vehicle crash in April 2008.

The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission awards the medals to people throughout the United States and Canada who risk their lives to an extraordinary degree while saving or attempting to save the lives of others.

David Patrick Rosamilia of Hollidaysburg was on duty for the Greenfield Township Police Department April 24, 2008, when he was flagged down by a passer-by and alerted to a crash on Everett Street, the Carnegie commission said in a news release.

Rosamilia, whose primary job is a general contractor, was nominated for the award by an Altoona Mirror reporter.

"For me to be picked for this honor as a part-time officer, I was very, very humbled," he said Tuesday night. "There are a lot of good officers out there who deserve recognition."

A vehicle driven by Ronald L. Weamer, 61, of East Freedom struck a tree and caught on fire. Rosamilia tried to open the driver's door, but it was jammed. He successfully entered the car through the passenger's door but was unable to free Weamer because the man's leg was trapped in the wreckage.

"I already had my mind made up. As soon as it happened, there was only one outcome - to get him out, period," Rosamilia said.

Despite smoke and fumes in the car and flames rolling up the windshield and going through a hole in it, Rosamilia laid across the console and worked to free Weamer. Reaching under his arms and pulling on his leg, the officer freed Weamer and removed him from the car.

Another man helped Rosamilia moved Weamer further from the car.

Weamer was pronounced dead at the scene from blunt force trauma to the face and chest, the Blair County Coroner's Office said at the time. Rosamilia said he was saddened by Weamer's death.

Rosamilia suffered smoke inhalation, which required hospital treatment.

"I have to thank God," he said. "God blesses us in different ways. I suffered severe smoke inhalation, but I never got burnt. Mr. Weamer never was burnt. It was divine intervention that day."

Rosamilia is currently a part-time officer with the Duncansville Borough Police Department.

His former chief, Ronald Givler, called the award a "much deserved honor."

"We work a thankless job. We do a lot of things for the community - things they don't understand why we do them. It's an honor to have one of my officers receive this award. It's not something given out lightly by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission," Givler said.

"They made a wise choice, a good choice."

Rosamilia has been a police officer for four years. He said he became interested in law enforcement through the influence of his late father, Carmen L., a former Conrail general superintendent, and his late grandfather, Carmen R., a former mayor of Renovo who oversaw the police department during his 27 years in office.

Rosamilia and 21 other people, including four who died during their rescue acts, were selected as part of the commission's second award announcement of 2009. In addition to the Carnegie Medal, the recipients or their next of kin also will receive a financial grant, the commission said.

The commission has now granted 9,284 awards since the Carnegie Medal's inception in 1904.

Mirror Staff Writer Mark Leberfinger is at 946-7462.