Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant James Rector and Trooper Scott Lyons were killed in a vehicle crash on Crescent Cuttoff Road in Gilchrist. The two officers were assisting another officer at the scene of an accident involving a drunk driver when their marked sport utility vehicle was struck by a wood-chipping truck. They were both pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the truck was not injured. Sergeant Rector was scheduled to be off duty that day but volunteered to assist other troopers during an annual event in the area. In 1995, he was the Oregon Police Officer of the Year. Throughout his career, he had survived five shootouts and two bullet wounds. Sergeant Rector was a United States Air Force Vietnam War veteran and had served with the Oregon State Police for 24 years. He is survived by his wife and two grown children. His son became an Oregon State Trooper.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and two grown children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-OR-45603F8F- 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
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 Rector gave the Oregon State Police 24 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Oregon, and 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
James Dallas Rector served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Sergeant James Dallas Rector 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 OR, 66 of 197 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 33.5% of this state's fallen. That is 2.5 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At Oregon State Police, 15 of 31 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 48.4% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James Dallas Rector's cause is highlighted.
How James Dallas Rector Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. James Dallas Rector is highlighted in Sep.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
30 officers from Oregon State Police are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
