AAMVA honors law enforcement officers of member jurisdictions who make the ultimate sacrifice while performing their duties. Our deepest respect and sympathy goes out to the families and agencies of those fallen officers.
Trooper Mark Toney
Iowa State Patrol
End of Watch: Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Biographical Info
Age: 43
Tour of Duty: 24 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Patrol Car Collision
Date of Incident: August 1, 2011
Trooper Mark Toney was killed in an patrol car collision on U.S. Highway 65/69, south of Indianola.
He was traveling with emergency equipment activated when the patrol car left the roadway and overturned several times, landing in a field. The vehicle burst into flames during the collision.
Trooper Toney had served with the Iowa State Patrol for 24 years. He is survived by his two sons and parents.
Frederick F. Guthrie, Jr.
Missouri State Highway Patrol
End of Watch: Monday, August 1, 2011
Biographical Info
Age: 46
Tour of Duty: 17 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Drowned
Date of Incident: August 1, 2011
Trooper Fred Guthrie and his canine, Reed, are presumed drowned after being swept into flood waters in the area of Routes 118 and 111 in Holt County. Trooper Guthrie was on river flood patrol duty when another patrol unit discovered his patrol truck idling on the road at about 3:00 pm, with his patrol boat still on its trailer.
A massive search was initiated but neither Trooper Guthrie nor K9 Reed could be located. The search was officially changed to a recovery effort later that evening. K9 Reed's body was recovered Tuesday evening while Trooper Guthrie remains missing.
Trooper Guthrie had served with the Missouri State Water Patrol for 17 years until the agency was merged into the Missouri State Highway Patrol in January 2011. He was assigned to the Highway Patrol's Water Division when the incident occurred.
Trooper Adam M. Bowen
Virginia State Police
End of Watch: Friday, June 24, 2011
Biographical Info
Age: 28
Tour of Duty: 3 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Automobile Collision
Date of Incident: June 24, 2011
Trooper Adam Bowen was killed when his patrol car was involved in a collision in King George County while responding to call for assistance from a Virginia State Police special agent. He was traveling westbound on Route 3 and as he entered the intersection of Route 3 and Madison Drive his patrol car collided with a vehicle that was traveling eastbound. The impact forced the patrol car to run off the road and strike a traffic pole. The patrol car was split in half by the force of the impact and the front end of the vehicle continued into a nearby parking lot where it struck three parked cars. Trooper Bowen died at the scene.
Trooper Bowen had served with the Virginia State Police for three years. He had previously served with the U.S. Air National Guard and participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He is survived by his parents and fiancée.
Trooper Ellen Engelhardt
Massachusetts State Police
End of Watch: Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Biographical Info
Tour of Duty: 23 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Vehicular Assault
Date of Incident: July 26, 2003
Trooper Ellen Engelhardt succumbed to injuries sustained eight years earlier when her patrol car was struck by a drunk driver on Route 25 in Wareham.
Trooper Engelhardt was parked on the shoulder of the road when the drunk driver struck the rear or her vehicle at nearly 90 mph. Her injuries left her in a vegetative state and she was unable to speak or communicate.
The driver was sentenced to only 2 1/2 years in prison.
Trooper Engelhardt had served with the Massachusetts State Police for 23 years. She is survived by her daughter.
Trooper First Class Shaft S. Hunter
Maryland State Police
End of Watch: Saturday, May 21, 2011
Biographical Info
Age: 39
Tour of Duty: 11 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Crash While Pursuing Motorcycle
Date of Incident: May 21, 2011
Trooper Shaft Hunter was killed when his patrol car collided with the back of a tractor trailer that was parked on the shoulder of I-95 at approximately 2:40 am. It is believed that he was pursuing a speeding motorcycle when the collision occurred.
Trooper Hunter was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and had served with the Maryland State Police for 11 years. He is survived by his wife and six children.
Trooper Andy Wall
Tennessee Highway Patrol
End of Watch: Saturday, May 7, 2011
Biographical Info
Age: 36
Tour of Duty: 7 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Motorcycle Crash
Date of Incident: May 7, 2011
Trooper Andy Wall was killed in a motorcycle crash while escorting members of the U.S. Air Force's Thunderbirds to an air show.
Another vehicle struck the motorcycles that Trooper Wall and another trooper were riding. Trooper Wall was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Trooper Wall had served with the Tennessee Highway Patrol for seven years.
Trooper Jeffrey Werda
Michigan State Police
End of Watch: Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Biographical Info
Age: 43
Tour of Duty: 11 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Automobile Crash
Date of Incident: Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Trooper Jeffrey Werda was killed in an automobile crash while responding to assist Saginaw County deputies who were involved in a pursuit. Several minutes after he notified dispatchers he was responding to assist, a motorist called 911 to report finding a crashed patrol car on Birch Run Road. Trooper Werda's patrol car had rolled over several times and he was ejected from the vehicle. He was transported to Covenant HealthCare Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Trooper I Anthony R. Fotiou
New Jersey State Police
End of Watch: Monday, March 28, 2011
Biographical Info
Age: 53
Tour of Duty: 23 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Heart attack
Date of Incident: Monday, March 28, 2011
Trooper Anthony Fotiou suffered a fatal heart attack while conducting commercial vehicle inspections at the Carney's Point Scales. Trooper Fotiou had served with the New Jersey State Police for 23 years and was assigned to the Commercial Vehicle Inspection Unit.
Trooper Kevin P. Dobson
New York State Police
End of Watch: Saturday, March 26, 2011
Biographical Info
Age: 43
Tour of Duty: 14 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Struck by vehicle
Date of Incident: Saturday, March 26, 2011
Trooper Kevin Dobson was struck and killed by the driver of a vehicle while making a traffic stop on I-290 in Erie County.
He was transported to Kenmore Mercy Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries a short time later.
Trooper Dobson had served with the New York State Police for 14 years. He is survived by his three children.
Officer Thomas Adams
California Highway Patrol
End of Watch: Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Biographical Info
Age: 24
Tour of Duty: 2 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Automobile crash
Date of Incident: Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Officer Thomas Adams was killed in a crash while on patrol.
He was driving north on Highway 101 in Mendocino County when his patrol car was struck head-on by a southbound vehicle. Officer Adams died from the injuries sustained in the crash.
Officer Adams had served with the California Highway Patrol for two years.