Benjamin Richard Smallwood
Agency patch
Investigator

Benjamin Richard Smallwood

Accident
End of Watch July 14, 1939
Age 46
The Vigil Panel 76 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Investigator Benjamin Smallwood was killed in an automobile crash while returning to his office in Chicago, Illinois, after a search for a fugitive. His vehicle was forced off the road and into a light pole on the Canal Street Bridge, causing him to suffer fatal injuries. He died two days after the crash.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-BE0E58B5
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Investigator Smallwood served with the United States Department of the Treasury.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Investigator Smallwood.

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

Agency

Type Federal Agency
Location Washington, DC
Platform Identity usdtirsatufed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 14, 1939
Age 46
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Investigator Benjamin Richard Smallwood is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In DC, 453 of 1,418 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 31.9% of this state's fallen. That is 31.9 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At United States Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service - Alcohol Tax Unit, 11 of 30 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 36.7% of this agency's fallen.

United States Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service - Alcohol Tax Unit
11
of 30 officers
36.7% Accident
DC — Statewide
453
of 1,418 officers
31.9% Accident
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Benjamin Richard Smallwood's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Benjamin Richard Smallwood Compares

Age at Death
46
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Benjamin Richard Smallwood is highlighted in Jul.

Jan
820
Feb
730
Mar
748
Apr
708
May
848
Jun
797
Jul
899
Aug
938
Sep
913
Oct
925
Nov
872
Dec
897

Incident Location