Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant Melvin Means succumbed to injuries suffered six days earlier after being struck by a vehicle on U.S. 30 at Olympian Way. Sergeant Means was directing traffic as a car was being removed from a ditch by a tow truck operator when he was struck by an eastbound car, resulting in him being thrown 70 feet. Sergeant Means was transported to St. James Hospital in Chicago Heights where he died from his injuries six days later. The 16-year-old driver was charged with driving too fast for conditions and reckless driving. Sergeant Means had served with the Olympia Fields Police Department for seven years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and two children.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-IL-6FB4CCA0- Stewardship
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- 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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Sergeant Means gave the Olympia Fields Police Department 7 years.
Thank you for your service to the Olympia Fields community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Means.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sergeant Melvin Chester Means 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 IL, 354 of 1,318 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 26.9% of this state's fallen. That is 4.1 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Melvin Chester Means's cause is highlighted.
How Melvin Chester Means Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Melvin Chester Means is highlighted in Dec.