Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer James Hesterberg was killed in a traffic collision while he and his partner were transporting seven prisoners to Spring Creek Correctional Center at 12:30 pm during snow and rainy weather.
The vehicle was struck head-on by a tractor-trailer on the slush-covered Seward Highway about 20 miles north of Seward. The impact caused the Ford van to go over a guard rail, and it landed on its roof. Officer Hesterberg, who was driving the van, and four inmates died at the scene. His partner and the three remaining inmates were transported to area hospitals.
Officer Hesterberg had served with the Alaska Department of Corrections for 19 years.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and three children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-AK-18E32CED- 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.
Correctional Officer Hesterberg gave the Alaska Department of Corrections 19 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Alaska. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Correctional Officer Hesterberg.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Correctional Officer James C. Hesterberg 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 AK, 14 of 50 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 28% of this state's fallen. That is 28 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James C. Hesterberg's cause is highlighted.
How James C. Hesterberg Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. James C. Hesterberg is highlighted in Nov.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
0 officers from Alaska Department of Corrections are honored on badge.nw.