Roll of Honor
Incident
Policeman Patrick Costella and Deputy Sheriff Edward Schumacker, of the Hancock County Sheriff's Office, were killed in an automobile accident when their vehicle went off a 50-foot embankment at Chestunt Ridge on the Pittsburgh Road.
The two officers, along with a local justice of the peace and a female citizen, were returning from Burggettstown, Pennsylvania, where they had gone to search for a suspected who had robbed a pool room of $900 several days earlier. The justice of the peace and citizen both survived the crash.
Policeman Costella was survived by his wife.
Survivors
Policeman Costella was survived by his wife.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-WV-28A5F29A- 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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Policeman Costella served with the Hollidays Cove Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Weirton community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Policeman Costella.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Policeman Patrick J. Costella 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 WV, 54 of 232 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 23.3% of this state's fallen. That is 7.7 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Patrick J. Costella's cause is highlighted.
How Patrick J. Costella Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Patrick J. Costella is highlighted in Sep.