Incident
Officer Charles Goss was killed in an automobile accident on Highway 152 and the Ash Slough Bridge during foggy conditions. Officer Goss was transporting a few passengers injured in another accident to a Chowchilla clinic. A vehicle attempting to pass a truck struck his cruiser head-on. His passengers and the driver of the other vehicle were critically injured. Officer Goss died at the scene. The driver was convicted of manslaughter. Officer Goss was a United States Navy WWII veteran and had served with the California Highway Patrol for three years. He is survived by his wife and three children. He is buried at Arbor Vitae Cemetery in Madera, Madera County, California.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and three children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-3B05F179- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Officer Goss gave the California Highway Patrol 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Charles D. Goss served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Officer Charles D. Goss is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In CA, 719 of 1,837 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 39.1% of this state's fallen. That is 8.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At California Highway Patrol, 151 of 233 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 64.8% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Charles D. Goss's cause is highlighted.
How Charles D. Goss Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Charles D. Goss is highlighted in Nov.
Incident Location
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