Eli L. Smith
Agency patch
Sergeant

Eli L. Smith

Louisiana State Police — Baton Rouge, LA
Accident
End of Watch January 17, 1957
Age 55
Tour of Duty 14 yrs
The Vigil Panel 92 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Sergeant Eli Smith succumbed to injuries sustained in a vehicle crash on U.S. 90 on January 29, 1956. He was pursuing a vehicle for a traffic violation when he was forced off the road. The speeding vehicle struck an automobile, forcing that vehicle into Sergeant Smith's patrol car. Sergeant Smith suffered severe chest injuries and had several heart attacks over the next year, culminating in his death. Sergeant Smith had served with the Louisiana State Police for 14 years and was assigned to Troop D.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-LA-68F2E62F
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.
Sergeant Smith gave the Louisiana State Police 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Louisiana. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Smith.

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

Agency

Type State Police
Location Baton Rouge, LA
Platform Identity lsp.la.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 17, 1957
Tour of Duty 14 yrs
Age 55
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident
Weapon Automobile

Sergeant Eli L. Smith 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 LA, 180 of 595 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 30.3% of this state's fallen. That is 30.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Louisiana State Police, 21 of 27 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 77.8% of this agency's fallen.

Louisiana State Police
21
of 27 officers
77.8% Accident
LA — Statewide
180
of 595 officers
30.3% 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. Eli L. Smith's cause is highlighted.

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

How Eli L. Smith Compares

Age at Death
55
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years
Years of Service
14
This officer
Avg for Accident: 9.1 years

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Eli L. Smith is highlighted in Jan.

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