Roll of Honor
Incident
Captain Franklin Smith was killed in an automobile crash on Industrial Highway in Eddystone, Pennsylvania, while returning to Glenside following an assignment in Wilmington, Delaware.
Another car collided with his vehicle head-on near Crum Creek and the entrance to Baldwin Locomotive Works at approximately 10:00 pm. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The driver of the vehicle that caused the collision was charged with manslaughter.
Captain Smith had served with the Reading Railroad Police Department for over 20 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and daughter.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-RR-69260EB2- 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
20 years. You could have gone home.
Captain Smith gave the Reading Railroad Police Department 20 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Philadelphia community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Captain Smith.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Captain Franklin J. 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 PA, 417 of 1,261 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 33.1% of this state's fallen. That is 2.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At Reading Railroad Police Department, 2 of 3 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Franklin J. Smith's cause is highlighted.
How Franklin J. Smith Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Franklin J. Smith is highlighted in Jun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
2 officers from Reading Railroad Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
