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.
Officer Brett Oswald
California Highway Patrol
End of Watch: Sunday, June 27, 2010
Biographical Info
Age: 47
Tour of Duty: 20 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Struck by vehicle
Date of Incident: Sunday, June 27, 2010
Suspect Info: Charged with felony vehicular manslaughter
Officer Brett Oswald was killed when he was struck by a vehicle at the scene of an abandoned vehicle.
He responded to a report that a vehicle had hit a tree on South River Road in Paso Robles. After investigating, Officer Oswald determined that no accident had occurred and that the vehicle was abandoned. He called for a tow truck and was waiting next to his patrol car, when a passing vehicle crossed the double yellow lines and struck the patrol car. The force of the impact pushed the patrol car into him.
Officer Oswald was transported to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries.
The suspect was arrested and charged with felony vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and driving with a suspended license.
Officer Oswald had served with the agency for 20 years and is survived by his wife.
Officer Justin McGrory
California Highway Patrol
End of Watch: Sunday, June 27, 2010
Biographical Info
Age: 28
Tour of Duty: 2 years, 8 months
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Vehicular assault
Date of Incident: Sunday, June 27, 2010
Suspect Info: Charged with vehicular manslaughter
Officer Justin McGrory was struck and killed by a drunk driver while conducting a field sobriety test on I-15 in Barstow at 3:38 am.
He and his partner had stopped a suspected drunk driver and were administering the tests when he was struck. His partner was not injured. The drunk driver who struck him stopped a short distance away. He was arrested and charged with vehicular manslaughter.
Officer McGrory had served with the California Highway Patrol for almost three years. He is survived by his expectant wife and three small children.
Constable Chelsey Robinson
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
End of Watch: Monday, June 21, 2010
Biographical Info
Age: 25
Tour of Duty: 7 months
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Automobile accident
Date of Incident: Monday, June 21, 2010
Incident Location: Alberta
Constable Chelsey Robinson was killed in an automobile collision while looking for a drunk driver in Edmonton, Alberta.
She had received reports that a drunk driver was traveling in the wrong direction on Highway 16 at 12:35 am. As she attempted to locate the car her patrol car collided with a tractor trailer at the intersection of Highway 16 and Range Road 15.
Responding units located her patrol car in a nearby ditch. She was transported to a hospital in Edmonton where she succumbed to her injuries a short time later.
Constable Robinson had served with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for only seven months.
Officer Philip Ortiz
California Highway Patrol
End of Watch: Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Biographical Info
Age: 48
Tour of Duty: 28 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Struck by vehicle
Date of Incident: Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Officer Philip Ortiz succumbed to injuries sustained two weeks earlier when he was struck by a vehicle on I-405 in West Los Angeles.
He was issuing a traffic citation to a driver when another car, which was driving on the shoulder passing other vehicle, struck him and his motorcycle.
Officer Ortiz was pinned in the wreckage and had to be extricated by the responding rescue crew. He was transported to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center where he remained until passing away.
Office Ortiz had served with the California Highway Patrol for 28 years. He is survived by his wife, parents, and sister.
Sergeant Doug Weddleton
Massachusetts State Police
End of Watch: Friday, June 18, 2010
Biographical Info
Age: 52
Tour of Duty: 28 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Vehicular assault
Date of Incident: Friday, June 18, 2010
Sergeant Doug Weddleton was struck and killed by two drunk drivers while working a construction detail on I-95 in Attleboro.
Sergeant Weddleton had positioned his patrol car to block an exit ramp from I-95 to I-495 so a construction crew could perform roadwork. At approximately 1:25 am a drunk driver attempted to drive around his patrol car.
As he exited his vehicle to stop the car a second drunk driver crashed into the back of the first car, pushing it into Sergeant Weddleton, seriously injuring him. He was transported to Sturdy Memorial Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Both drunk drivers were arrested and charged with numerous charges. The drunk driver in the second vehicle was charged with negligent motor vehicle homicide.
Sergeant Weddleton had served with the Massachusetts State Police for 28 years. He is survived by his wife and four sons.
Officer Thomas P. Coleman
California Highway Patrol
End of Watch: Friday, June 11, 2010
Biographical Info
Age: 33
Tour of Duty: 7 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Vehicle pursuit
Date of Incident: Friday, June 11, 2010
Officer Thomas Coleman was killed in a motorcycle collision while pursuing a traffic violator he was attempting to stop in Redlands.
At 6:30 am, Officer Coleman was traveling northbound on Mountain View, just north of Interstate 10, when his motorcycle collided with a semitrailer at the intersection of San Bernardino Avenue and Alabama Street approximately one minute into the pursuit. The vehicle he was pursuing crashed into another vehicle moments later and all four occupants were apprehended.
Officer Coleman succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officer Coleman had served with the California Highway Patrol for seven years and was assigned to the San Bernardino Area of the Inland Division. He is survived by his wife, 2-year-old son, 11-month-old daughter, sister and mother.
Trooper First Class Wesley Brown
Maryland State Police
End of Watch: Friday, June 11, 2010
Biographical Info
Age: 24
Tour of Duty: 3 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Friday, June 11, 2010
Weapon Used: Gun
Trooper Wesley Brown was shot and killed at approximately 12:40 am while working an off duty security detail at a restaurant in Forestville, Maryland.
Earlier in the evening Trooper Brown had escorted a patron out of the restaurant who had refused to pay a bill. Trooper Brown was standing in the parking lot talking on his cell phone when the man returned and fatally shot him without warning.
Trooper Brown had served with the Maryland State Police for three years and was assigned to the Forestville Barracks. He is survived by his fiancee.
Trooper Marc Castellano
New Jersey State Police
End of Watch: Sunday, June 6, 2010
Biographical Info
Age: 29
Tour of Duty: 6 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Struck by vehicle
Date of Incident: Sunday, June 6, 2010
Trooper Marc Castellano died of injuries he sustained when he was struck by a vehicle while searching for a suspect.
At approximately 8:45am, New Jersey State Troopers observed a vehicle on the shoulder of the northbound lanes on the Garden State Parkway near mile marker 90 in Ocean County. When a Trooper pulled up behind the vehicle, it fled at a high rate of speed. The trooper gave chase but ended the pursuit for safety reasons. About 75 minutes later, other law enforcement agencies in the area found the driver of the vehicle near her car which was pulled off the side of the road on Route 195 West near exit 31B. She told officers she was with an armed man, prompting a massive search for a person who police later learned was non-existent.
Trooper Castellano was on Route 195 near an exit ramp in Howell Township and was searching for the person described by the female driver. As he conducted the search, he was struck by a passing vehicle. He was taken to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries several hours later.
The female was arrested and faces multiple charges relating to the death of Trooper Castellano, in that she provided false information that prompted an unnecessary search by officers which led to the death of the trooper.
Trooper Castellano had served with the New Jersey State Police for six years and was assigned to Troop C Tactical Patrol Unit. He is survived by his wife and two children.
Trooper Patrick Ambroise
Florida Highway Patrol
End of Watch: Saturday, May 15, 2010
Biographical Info
Age: 35
Tour of Duty: 4 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Traffic Crash
Date of Incident: Saturday, May 15, 2010
Trooper Patrick Ambroise was killed when his patrol car was struck from behind while he was stopped on the shoulder of the Florida Turnpike, near Okeechobee Road.
A vehicle being driven on the turnpike suddenly veered onto the shoulder and struck Trooper Ambroise's 2006 Crown Victoria from behind, causing it to burst into flames, and trapping him inside.
Trooper Ambroise had served with the Florida Highway Patrol for four years. He is survived by his wife, two young daughters, mother, and five siblings.
Pilot Officer Danny Benavides
California Highway Patrol
End of Watch: Friday, May 7, 2010
Biographical Info
Age: 39
Tour of Duty: 13 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Airplane Crash
Date of Incident: Friday, May 7, 2010
Officer Danny Benavides was killed when the department airplane he was piloting crashed.
He was flying a Cessna 206 on observation patrol for a speed detail near Highway 78 when it went down about 9:30 am. The crash occurred in the desert near Highway 78 and Split Mountain Road, in Imperial County.
Officer Benavides had served with the California Highway Patrol for 13 years and was assigned to the Border Division Thermal Air Operations Unit. Officer Benavides is survived by his wife and daughter.
Corporal D. Kevin Cusack
South Carolina Highway Patrol
End of Watch: Saturday, March 27, 2010
Biographical Info
Age: 45
Tour of Duty: 21 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Patrol vehicle accident
Date of Incident: Saturday, March 27, 2010
Corporal Kevin Cusack was killed when his patrol car was involved in a single-vehicle accident.
He was on patrol when his patrol car left the road as he drove on State Highway 200 about six miles south of Lancaster. Corporal Cusack was killed as a result.
Corporal Cusack had served with the South Carolina Highway Patrol for 21 years. He is survived by his three children.
Trooper Andrew C. Baldridge
Ohio State Highway Patrol
End of Watch: Thursday, February 4, 2010
Biographical Info
Age: 25
Tour of Duty: 2 months
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Automobile accident
Date of Incident: Thursday, February 4, 2010
Trooper Andrew Baldridge was killed in an automobile accident while responding to backup a deputy from the Wyandot County Sheriff's Office.
The patrol car Trooper Baldridge was driving overturned near Carey, causing fatal injuries. His training officer sustained non-life threatening injuries.
Trooper Baldridge had graduated from the academy in December. He is survived by his parents.
Trooper Jill Mattice
New York State Police
End of Watch: Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Biographical Info
Age: 31
Tour of Duty: 6 years, 6 months
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Automobile Crash
Date of Incident: Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Trooper Jill Mattice was killed when her patrol car collided with a tractor trailer on Route 23, in the town of Morris, Otsego County. She had just left the school where she was assigned as a school resource officer when the crash occurred.
Trooper Mattice had served with the New York State Police for 6.5 years.
Trooper Paul G. Richey
Pennsylvania State Police
End of Watch: Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Biographical Info
Age: 40
Tour of Duty: 16 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Trooper Paul Richey was shot and killed when he and another trooper responded to a domestic disturbance call in Cranberry Township, Venango County, at 11:45 am.
Both troopers arrived at the scene and exited their vehicles when Trooper Richey was struck by a shot fired from inside the residence. Additional units arrived and removed Trooper Richey from the scene.
The suspect fled the scene and remains at large.
Trooper Richey had served with the Pennsylvania State Police for 16 years. He is survived by his wife, son, and daughter.
Trooper Duane Dalton
Louisiana State Police
End of Watch: Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Biographical Info
Age: 39
Tour of Duty: 15 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Automobile accident
Date of Incident: Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Trooper Duane Dalton was killed in an automobile crash near Moss Bluff while on patrol.
His vehicle was struck by another car at the intersection of Highway 171 and Gloria Lane, causing his vehicle to be pushed into a ditch. Trooper Dalton was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Trooper Dalton had served with the Louisiana State Police for 15 years. He is survived by his wife and three sons.
Corporal Dennis Engelhard
Missouri State Highway Patrol
End of Watch: Friday, December 25, 2009
Biographical Info
Age: 49
Tour of Duty: 10 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Struck by vehicle
Date of Incident: Friday, December 25, 2009
Corporal Dennis Engelhard was fatally struck by a vehicle while investigating a minor accident on I-44, in Eureka, on Christmas day.
While waiting for a tow truck to arrive, Corporal Engelhard was struck by the driver of a vehicle who lost control on an icy patch due to winter weather conditions. Corporal Engelhard was transported to the St. Clair Health Center where he succumbed to his injuries.
Corporal Engelhard had served with the Missouri State Highway Patrol for 10 years. He is survived by his parents, Jim and Marge, one brother (and sister-in-law) Dan and Kelly, and their children, Jenna, Jacob, and Jackson.
Officer Chris Marano
Arizona Department of Public Safety
End of Watch: Thursday, December 17, 2009
Biographical Info
Age: 28
Tour of Duty: 3 years, 6 months
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Vehicle pursuit
Date of Incident: Thursday, December 17, 2009
Suspect Info: Apprehended
Officer Chris Marano was struck and killed by a patrol car involved in a vehicle pursuit as he laid out spike strips.
Members of the Arizona Department of Public Safety attempted to stop a vehicle bearing stolen license plates. The vehicle failed to stop and fled. A pursuit ensued, reaching speeds of over 100 Miles Per Hour. Officer Marano was laying out spike strips on the Loop 101 near Phoenix when he was struck and killed by a patrol car involved in the pursuit.
The pursuit continued and the suspect was eventually apprehended during a foot chase after she bailed out of her vehicle.
Officer Marano had served with the Arizona Department of Public Safety for three and a half years. He is survived by his wife and four daughters.
Trooper David Lane
New York State Police
End of Watch: Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Biographical Info
Age: 30
Tour of Duty: 4 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Automobile accident
Date of Incident: Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Trooper David Lane was killed in an automobile accident while on patrol in the town of Catskill.
He was traveling north on State Route 32 when he attempted to pass another northbound vehicle. The vehicles made contact and Trooper Lane's vehicle drove off the roadway and struck a telephone pole, causing him to suffer fatal injuries.
Trooper Lane had served with the New York State Police for four years and was assigned to the Catskill Station. He had previously served with the United States Army in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Officer Jarrod John Martinez
California Highway Patrol
End of Watch: Thursday, October 29, 2009
Biographical Info
Age: 30
Tour of Duty: 1 year
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Motorcycle accident
Date of Incident: Thursday, October 29, 2009
Officer Jarrod Martinez was killed in a motorcycle accident on Steele Street in Buellton.
Officer Martinez was driving home on his personal motorcycle after appearing in traffic court Thursday on official California Highway Patrol business. He was driving westbound on Steele Street near the intersection of Foxen Canyon Road, just south of Highway 154, when a vehicle traveling the opposite direction entered his lane of traffic while attempting to make a left turn. Officer Martinez braked to avoid a collision but his motorcycle slid from under him and he struck the vehicle. He was dragged approximately 50 feet.
Officer Martinez was one day shy of his one year anniversary with the California Highway Patrol. He is survived by his wife and 4-year-old daughter.
Lance Corporal Jonathan Nash
South Carolina Highway Patrol
End of Watch: Saturday, September 19, 2009
Biographical Info
Age: 41
Tour of Duty: 15 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Motorcycle accident
Date of Incident: Saturday, September 19, 2009
Corporal Jonathan Nash was killed in a motorcycle accident while escorting a memorial charity ride in memory of Trooper Hardy Godbold, when the driver of a vehicle pulled in front of Corporal Nash's motorcycle, causing a collision.
Trooper Godbold was also killed on the same roadway during a vehicle pursuit on February 28, 1992.
Corporal Nash was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and had served with the South Carolina Highway Patrol for 15 years.
Agent Jorge Sanchez-Santiago
Puerto Rico Police Department
End of Watch: Sunday, August 16, 2009
Biographical Info
Age: 37
Tour of Duty: 17 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Sunday, August 16, 2009
Weapon Used: Handgun; 9 mm
Suspect Info: In custody
Agent Jorge Sanchez-Santiago and Lieutenant Benjamin Santiago-Fragoso were shot and killed as they transported a prisoner jail.
The prisoner was somehow able to obtain one of the officers' weapons. Agent Sanchez-Santiago was shot once in the head and Lieutenant Santiago-Fragoso was shot three times in the chest and critically wounded. Lieutenant Santiago-Fragoso succumbed to his wounds five weeks later.
The suspect fled the scene but was arrested the next day after an extensive search by the FBI, USMS and the Puerto Rico Police Department. The FBI has assumed jurisdiction of the case as a car jacking incident.
Agent Sanchez-Santiago had served with the Puerto Rico Police Department for 17 years. He is survived by his wife and two children.
Trooper Jorge Dimas
Wisconsin State Patrol
End of Watch: Sunday, June 14, 2009
Biographical Info
Age: 23
Tour of Duty: 1 year
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Automobile accident
Date of Incident: Saturday, May 9, 2009
Trooper Jorge Dimas succumbed to automobile accident injuries sustained one month earlier while on patrol on State Highway 35, near Frederic, Wisconsin.
He was turning around to stop a traffic violator when his patrol car was broadsided by an oncoming pickup truck.
Trooper Dimas had served with the Wisconsin State Patrol for only one year. He is survived by his fiancee and son.
Sergeant Andrew (Andy) Tingwall
New Mexico State Police
End of Watch: Thursday, June 11, 2009
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Aircraft accident
Date of Incident: Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Sergeant Andy Tingwall died following a police helicopter crash on a mountainside near Santa Fe, New Mexico. He and a police observer had just taken off after rescuing a stranded hiker when the helicopter struck the mountainside and crashed.
Despite being severely injured, the observer was able to hike from the area the following morning and was located by a rescue party. An intense search was initiated but rescuers had difficulty reaching the crash site due to weather and terrain.
The bodies of Sergeant Tingwall and the hiker were located two days later when rescuers were able to reach the site.
Trooper Joshua D. Miller
Pennsylvania State Police
End of Watch: Sunday, June 7, 2009
Biographical Info
Age: 34
Tour of Duty: 6 years
Badge Number: 8819
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Sunday, June 7, 2009
Weapon Used: Handgun; 9 mm
Suspect Info: Shot and killed
Trooper Joshua Miller was shot and killed while attempting to apprehend a kidnapping suspect.
At 7:45 pm members of the Nazareth Police Department responded to a report of a protection-from-abuse order violation involving a weapon. As they arrived, the suspect took a 9-year-old boy from his mother at gunpoint and fled the location in a vehicle, leading to a 40 mile vehicle pursuit.
The suspect's vehicle was stopped in Coolbaugh Township (Monroe County) when members of the Pennsylvania State Police utilized the PIT maneuver, causing the vehicle to crash. Following the crash, Trooper Miller and another trooper approached the car in an attempt to rescue the boy from the suspect, but the suspect opened fire on the troopers striking Trooper Miller in the neck and leg, and striking his partner in the arm. The troopers were able to return fire, killing the suspect.
When Trooper Miller and his partner were engaged in the gun battle, two other troopers were able to rescue the boy from the passenger seat of the suspect's vehicle and carried him to safety.
Trooper Miller was transported to a local hospital where he died from his wounds. His partner was also treated and recovered from his wound.
Trooper Miller had served with the Pennsylvania State Police for six years and was assigned to the Swiftwater State Police Barracks, and had previously served with the United States Marine Corps. He is survived by his wife and three daughters.
On July 12, 2007 Trooper Miller, along with other members of the Pennsylvania State Police, assisted members of the New York City Police Department in the capture of two of the men who killed Police Officer Russell Timoshenko and wounded his partner on July 9, 2007 during a vehicle stop in Brooklyn, New York.
Master Sergeant Steve L. Hood
Mississippi Department of Public Safety - Highway Patrol
End of Watch: Friday, May 29, 2009
Biographical Info
Age: 50
Tour of Duty: 26 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Vehicle pursuit
Date of Incident: Friday, May 29, 2009
Weapon Used: Automobile
Suspect Info: Charged with manslaughter
Master Sergeant Steve Hood was killed in an automobile accident while pursing a vehicle on State Highway 370 near the Lee County - Prentiss County line.
Sergeant Hood's vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree, causing fatal injuries. Witnesses were able to identify the vehicle that Sergeant Hood was pursuing. The driver was later arrested and charged with felony fleeing and manslaughter.
Sergeant Hood had served with the agency for 26 years. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, and son.
Trooper Kyle P. Barber
North Carolina Highway Patrol
End of Watch: Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Biographical Info
Age: 46
Tour of Duty: 24 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Struck by vehicle
Date of Incident: Saturday, January 20, 2007
Trooper Kyle Barber succumbed to complications of injuries sustained two years earlier when he was struck by a vehicle.
He was assisting another trooper who had stopped an ATV on a rural road in Wilkes County. During the stop, the ATV rolled and pinned him against his patrol car, causing him to suffer major injuries.
As a result of the injuries, Trooper Barber had undergone 10 surgeries and other treatment to his lower legs. He passed away from complication of the most recent surgery.
Trooper Barber had served with the North Carolina Highway Patrol for 24 years. He is survived by his wife and three children.
Trooper Mike Haynes
Montana Highway Patrol
Montana
End of Watch: Friday, March 27, 2009
Biographical Info
Age: 28
Tour of Duty: 2 years, 6 months
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Vehicular assault
Date of Incident: Monday, March 23, 2009
Weapon Used: Automobile; Alcohol involved
Suspect Info: Killed in collision
Trooper Mike Haynes succumbed to injuries sustained five days earlier when a car being operated by an intoxicated driver struck his patrol car head-on on US 93 near Kalispell.
The drunk driver was driving the wrong way on the highway when the collision occurred at approximately 2:40 am. The intoxicated driver was also killed in the collision.
Trooper Haynes had served with the Montana Highway Patrol for 2 1/2 years. He is survived by his wife, two young children and parents.
Agency Contact Information
Montana Highway Patrol
2550 Prospect Avenue
P.O. Box 201419
Helena, MT 59620
Captain Richard J. (Rick) Cashin
Massachusetts State Police
Massachusetts
End of Watch: Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Biographical Info
Age: 52
Tour of Duty: 28 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Automobile accident
Date of Incident: Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Captain Richard Cashin was killed in an automobile accident on Route 1, in Saugus, while on duty at approximately 1:45 am. His patrol car left the roadway and struck a utility pole.
Captain Cashin was assigned as the shift commander of Troop A and had served with the agency for 28 years.
He is survived by his wife, two daughters and two sons. His uncle, Sergeant Arthur Cashin was shot and killed in the line of duty on July 20, 1980, while serving with the Chelsea Police Department.
Agency Contact Information
Massachusetts State Police
470 Worcester Road
Framingham, MA 01702