Thomas Patrick Nipper
Agency patch
Senior Trooper

Thomas Patrick Nipper

Accident
End of Watch November 4, 2017
Age 63
Tour of Duty 43 yrs 10 mo
The Vigil Panel 167 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Senior Trooper Tom Nipper was killed in a vehicle crash while conducting a traffic stop on southbound I-35, near Midway Drive, in Temple.

He was sitting in his patrol car during the stop when it was struck from behind by a pickup truck. The impact caused the patrol car to strike the stopped vehicle and Trooper Nipper. He was transported to Baylor Scott & White Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Trooper Nipper won numerous awards during his tenure, including the Field Major’s award for going beyond the call of duty to find and save the life of an abducted child.

Trooper Nipper had served with the Texas Highway Patrol for almost 35 years and served in law enforcement for 43 years. He had previously served with the Nolanville Police Department, Hereford Police Department, Coryell County Sheriff's Office, Belton Police Department, and Gainseville Police Department.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and three children.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

43 years. You could have gone home.
Senior Trooper Nipper gave the Texas Department of Public Safety 43 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the people of Texas. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Senior Trooper Nipper.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Highway Patrol
Location Austin, Travis County, TX
Platform Identity tdpsthp.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 4, 2017
Tour of Duty 43 yrs 10 mo
Age 63
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

Thomas is one of 8,275 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.

33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 2017, 57 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 81st heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Thomas was 63. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36. Thomas had served 43.8 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

November holds 8.4% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Saturdays: 14.9%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol has 96 officers remembered here, Thomas among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Senior Trooper Thomas Patrick Nipper

Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol · End of Watch November 4, 2017

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 15-W

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