Joe Ward Jr.

KY State Police — Frankfort, KY

Veteran → Accident

End of Watch April 23, 1973

Age 25

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

Badge 423

The Vigil Panel 111 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 28

Incident

Trooper Joe Ward was struck and killed by a vehicle during foggy conditions while assisting at the scene of another accident on Pennyrile Parkway, half a mile from Hopkinsville. No charges were filed in connection with his death. Trooper Ward Was a United States Army Vietnam War veteran and had served with the Kentucky State Police for four years.

Survivors

He was survived by his parents, brothers, and sisters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-KY-1A828269
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.
Trooper Ward gave the Kentucky State Police 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Kentucky, 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 KY State Police

Type State Police

Location Frankfort, KY

Platform Identity kysp.ky.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 23, 1973

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

Age 25

Badge Number 423

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Joe Ward Jr. served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Trooper Joe Ward Jr. 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 KY, 161 of 983 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 16.4% of this state's fallen. That is 16.4 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At KY State Police, 16 of 29 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 55.2% of this agency's fallen.

KY State Police

of 29 officers

55.2% Accident

KY — Statewide

161

of 983 officers

16.4% Accident

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Accident