Roll of Honor
David Elwood Nelson
Incident
Around 6:00 a.m. on May 3, 1985, Chief Deputy Constable David E. Nelson was traveling in 5500 block of U.S. Highway 290 in the Oak Hill community heading to Lake Travis to serve some civil papers. A large flatbed tractor trailer backed out of a parking lot. Nelson did not react fast enough and collided with the truck. He was taken to Brackenridge Hospital where he died from his injuries at 2:25 a.m. on May 20, 1985. He was 7 days short of his 60th birthday. Nelson was survived by his wife, Beatrice Carlson Nelson, two sisters and two brothers. He was buried in the Capital Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Austin.
Survivors
Nelson was survived by his wife, Beatrice Carlson Nelson, two sisters and two brothers.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-TX-B8F5DC2C- Stewardship
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- 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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Chief Deputy Constable Nelson gave the Travis County Constable's Office 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the Austin community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief Deputy Constable Nelson.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Chief Deputy Constable David Elwood Nelson 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 TX, 653 of 2,421 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 27% of this state's fallen. That is 4 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. David Elwood Nelson's cause is highlighted.
How David Elwood Nelson Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. David Elwood Nelson is highlighted in May.