It was much worse, though: an 81-year-old man and his 78-year-old wife had been hit by a car while crossing the street on foot. McKell, an Eagle Scout, ran to his own vehicle and grabbed a first-aid kit and road flares, and began shouting instructions to other passersby who stopped to help. The man appeared badly injured but was still breathing, so McKell held his head to prevent further injury until paramedics took him to the hospital.

The elderly man later died, but McKell has been recognized by the Los Gatos Monte-Sereno Police Department for his willingness to assist in the emergency situation. The department awarded certificates of appreciation and commendation to several residents, volunteers, staff members and officers at a May 18 luncheon.

"I don't think I could have dealt with not getting involved," McKell, now 18, said of his actions. "I drive past that spot every day."

McKell will graduate from Los Gatos High School this month, and is already training at Foothill College to become an emergency medical technician. He is interested in pursuing a career as a paramedic.

McKell said it was difficult to learn of the man's death, but that has not deterred him from his interest in emergency response.

"Afterward, I played the 'what if' game," he said. "What if I had been able to do more? Having gone through training, I think that will be less of an issue in the future."

Scott Seaman, chief of the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department, said he was impressed by the young man's presence of mind and emotional maturity.

"Irrespective of what he might have been able to do to save the victim, you've got a 17-year-old who's willing to go out ... and take great care to protect another individual," Seaman said. "This kid really did something unusual for his community."

McKell said he was impressed with the other members of the community who also helped at the scene by blocking the intersection with a car and assisting the woman who had been hit.

Other honorees were:

* Twin brothers Kyle and Kevin Bakken, then 17, who assisted in detaining a man responsible for several arsons;

* Don Stillwell, Frank Butler and Wally Henwood, members of the Volunteers In Policing program;

* Officer Kathy Missimer, who was the first officer to respond to the Jan. 7 explosion at the Los Gatos Auto Mall on Los Gatos Boulevard, attended to two badly injured people and later led the investigation of the explosion;

* Officer Erin Lunsford, who used CPR to revive a 56-year-old man who had collapsed in the shower from a heart attack;

* The department's peer support team, consisting of department members who counsel other officers and staff after traumatic incidents. Individual members Sgt. Tam McCarty (who founded the group), dispatcher Mary Lasher, dispatcher Andrea Atkinson, Sgt. Randy Rimple, Sgt. Tim Morgan, Officer Sam Wonnell, Officer Leyton Howard, Officer Clinton Tada and Chaplain Russ Ikeda were also honored.