Herbert Gale Poe

Ardmore Police Department — Ardmore, OK

Veteran → Accident

End of Watch March 25, 1970

Age 26

Tour of Duty 2 yrs 6 mo

The Vigil Panel 106 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 6

Incident

Patrolman Herbert Poe was killed when his motorcycle collided with the side of a Frisco switch engine at the railroad tracks on South Washington Street, between Stanley Avenue and 2nd Avenue. He had finished his shift at 4:00 am and was driving his motorcycle home while still in uniform. He struck a flatcar that was being pulled by the switch engine. Patrolman Poe left 12 feet of skid marks before laying the motorcycle on its side for 65 feet. Indications are Patrolman Poe was attempting to get the motorcycle back on its wheels when he smashed into the steps at the rear of the switch engine. The motorcycle was thrown backward after impact and came to rest 20 feet north of the tracks and six feet east of the curb. The switch engine had been backing across the intersection from west to east and cleared the intersection before it stopped. Patrolman Poe had received two departmental commendations for outstanding work during the preceding 11 months. Patrolman Poe was a U.S. Air Force veteran and had served with the Ardmore Police Department for 2-1/2 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, son, daughter, mother, father, stepfather, sister, and brother.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-OK-9CBFAAAC
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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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Air Force. One record, 2 gates. Herbert is one person.

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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.
Patrolman Poe gave the Ardmore Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Ardmore community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Ardmore Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Ardmore, Carter County, OK

Platform Identity apd.carter.ok.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 25, 1970

Tour of Duty 2 yrs 6 mo

Age 26

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Herbert Gale Poe served in the U.S. Air Force before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Patrolman Herbert Gale Poe 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 OK, 135 of 582 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 23.2% of this state's fallen. That is 23.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Ardmore Police Department, 2 of 7 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 28.6% of this agency's fallen.

Ardmore Police Department

of 7 officers

28.6% Accident

OK — Statewide

135

of 582 officers

23.2% Accident

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Accident