Dennis O'Brien

New York State Department of Correctional Services — Albany, NY

Accident

End of Watch January 11, 1904

Age 57

The Vigil Panel 19 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 35

Incident

Keeper Dennis O'Brien was struck and killed by a train while searching for two escaped prisoners.

Keeper O'Brien had spent the day at the Bluff Point train station, looking for two inmates who had escaped the previous night from the state prison at Dannemora.

At approximately 1745 hours, Keeper O'Brien walked across the tracks to talk to someone on a freight train. Due to the cold weather, Keeper O'Brien had his collar pulled up and did not hear the approaching train, or a train brakeman calling out to him.

The train struck and instantly killed Keeper O'Brien.

Keeper O'Brien was assigned to the Clinton Correctional Facility.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and seven children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NY-919545DB
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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Keeper O'Brien served with the New York State Department of Correctional Services.
Thank you for your service to the Albany community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Keeper O'Brien.

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

Agency

Department New York State Department of Correctional Services

Location Albany, NY

Platform Identity nysdcscorr.albany.ny.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 11, 1904

Age 57

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Keeper Dennis O'Brien 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 NY, 645 of 2,147 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 30% of this state's fallen. That is 1 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.

At New York State Department of Correctional Services, 4 of 36 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 11.1% of this agency's fallen.

New York State Department of Correctional Services

of 36 officers

11.1% Accident

NY — Statewide

645

of 2,147 officers

30% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident