Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant Frank McGraw was struck and killed when he attempted to save a pedestrian from being hit by a truck while crossing the street at Ashland Avenue near Carpenter Street in Chicago.
A car stopped to allow people to cross Ashland Avenue. A tractor-trailer hit the back of the car, causing it to jackknife into another lane. A truck in the next lane swerved to avoid the tractor-trailer but struck a street car and lurched toward a pedestrian. Sergeant McGraw attempted to pull her out of the way, but the truck struck both of them.
They were taken to St. George’s Hospital, where they died from their injuries.
Sergeant McGraw was a United States Army WWI veteran and had served with the Chicago Police Department for over 19 years, assigned to the 17th District.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and daughter.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-IL-AADE5278- 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 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.
Sergeant McGraw gave the Chicago Police Department 19 years.
Thank you for your service to the Chicago community. Thank you 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
Francis McGraw served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.
Sergeant Francis McGraw is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.
In IL, 354 of 1,318 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 26.9% of this state's fallen. That is 26.9 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Chicago Police Department, 107 of 571 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 18.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Francis McGraw's cause is highlighted.
How Francis McGraw Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Francis McGraw is highlighted in May.
Incident Location
Military Service
Francis McGraw served in the United States military before joining law enforcement.
Visit Francis McGraw’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
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