Douglas E. Smith
Agency patch
Deputy Sheriff

Douglas E. Smith

Accident
End of Watch August 27, 1978
Age 23
Tour of Duty 4 yrs
The Vigil Panel 120 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Douglas Smith was killed in an automobile accident when his vehicle was struck head-on by another vehicle on Highway 97 between Moro and Biggs Junction. He was responding to reports of a vehicle being driven at a high rate of speed and as he crested a hill near mile marker 12 the vehicle struck his head-on. Both vehicles burst into flames and Deputy Smith and the two occupants of the other vehicle were all killed. Deputy Smith had served with the agency for 4 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his parents, brothers, and sisters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-OR-0202F635
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.
Deputy Sheriff Smith gave the Sherman County Sheriff's Department 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the Moro community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Smith.

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

Agency

Location Moro, OR
Platform Identity scso.sherman.or.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 27, 1978
Tour of Duty 4 yrs
Age 23
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Deputy Sheriff Douglas E. Smith 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 OR, 66 of 197 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 33.5% of this state's fallen. That is 2.5 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

Sherman County Sheriff's Department
1
of 1 officers
100% Accident
OR — Statewide
66
of 197 officers
33.5% Accident
Nationwide
10,088
of 32,508 officers
31% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Douglas E. Smith's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
17,623 (54.2%)
Accident
10,088 (31%)
Illness
2,974 (9.1%)
Cardiac
1,306 (4%)
Undetermined
260 (0.8%)
Suicide
256 (0.8%)
vehicular
1 (0%)

How Douglas E. Smith Compares

Age at End of Watch
23
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years
Years of Service
4
This officer
Avg for Accident: 9.1 years

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Douglas E. Smith is highlighted in Aug.

Jan
820
Feb
730
Mar
748
Apr
707
May
847
Jun
795
Jul
897
Aug
937
Sep
913
Oct
925
Nov
872
Dec
897