Walter A. Kuczynski
Agency patch
Deputy Sheriff

Walter A. Kuczynski

Accident
End of Watch October 8, 1961
Age 32
Tour of Duty 7 yrs
The Vigil Panel 96 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Walter Kuczynski was struck and killed while assisting another deputy to push a patrol car out of a ditch on Illinois 29 six miles north of Peoria.

Another car came around a corner and struck him, killing him instantly. Deputy Kuczynski was off duty at the time when he stopped to assist.

Deputy Kuczynski had served with the Peoria County Sheriff's Office for seven years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-IL-2FB98951
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.
Deputy Sheriff Kuczynski gave the Peoria County Sheriff's Office 7 years.
Thank you for your service to the Peoria community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Kuczynski.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Sheriff's Office
Location Peoria, Peoria County, IL
Platform Identity pcso.peoria.il.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 8, 1961
Tour of Duty 7 yrs
Age 32
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Deputy Sheriff Walter A. Kuczynski 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 IL, 354 of 1,318 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 26.9% of this state's fallen. That is 26.9 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Peoria County Sheriff's Office, 1 of 4 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 25% of this agency's fallen.

Peoria County Sheriff's Office
1
of 4 officers
25% Accident
IL — Statewide
354
of 1,318 officers
26.9% Accident
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Walter A. Kuczynski's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Walter A. Kuczynski Compares

Age at Death
32
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years
Years of Service
7
This officer
Avg for Accident: 9.1 years

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Walter A. Kuczynski is highlighted in Oct.

Jan
820
Feb
730
Mar
748
Apr
708
May
848
Jun
797
Jul
899
Aug
938
Sep
913
Oct
925
Nov
872
Dec
897

Incident Location