Roll of Honor
Incident
Guard Reed Abell drowned when the prison camp dump truck he was riding in drove into a pond along U.S. Highway 21 adjacent to Lake Elizabeth.
A prisoner from Richland County Prison Camp No. 1 was driving the truck when its defective hood latch disengaged, causing the hood to open and block the driver's view. The driver was thrown from the vehicle as it hit a drainage ditch before entering the pond. A second prisoner who was in the cab was able to escape as the truck sank. The two prisoners tried to rescue Guard Abell but were unsuccessful.
Guard Abell was survived by four brothers and four sisters.
Survivors
Guard Abell was survived by four brothers and four sisters.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-SC-2C805973- 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.
Guard Abell served with the Richland County Chain Gang.
Thank you for your service to the Columbia community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Guard Abell.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Guard Reed Marion Abell 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 SC, 138 of 441 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 31.3% of this state's fallen. That is 31.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Reed Marion Abell's cause is highlighted.
How Reed Marion Abell Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Reed Marion Abell is highlighted in Nov.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
0 officers from Richland County Chain Gang are honored on badge.nw.