Roll of Honor

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Officer

Ward E. Washington

California Highway Patrol — Sacramento, CA

Veteran → Accident

End of Watch July 10, 1978

Age 39

Tour of Duty 10 yrs

Badge 6989

The Vigil Panel 120 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 232

Incident

Officer Ward Washington was struck and killed by a commercial vehicle while he was eating lunch at an outside restaurant at 11:39 am. The truck blew a tire while driving and went out of control. Officer Ward was killed instantly. His partner and another officer were not seriously hurt. Officer Washington was a United States Air Force veteran who had served with the California Highway Patrol for 10 years and was assigned to the Truck Inspection Unit.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, two daughters, three stepchildren, parents, and brother.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-E420A5B5
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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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Air Force. One record, 2 gates. Ward is one person.

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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.
Officer Washington gave the California Highway Patrol 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California, 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 California Highway Patrol

Type Highway Patrol

Location Sacramento, CA

Platform Identity chp.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 10, 1978

Tour of Duty 10 yrs

Age 39

Badge Number 6989

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Ward E. Washington served in the U.S. Air Force (1957â1959) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Officer Ward E. Washington is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.

In CA, 719 of 1,837 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 39.1% of this state's fallen. That is 39.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At California Highway Patrol, 151 of 233 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 64.8% of this agency's fallen.

California Highway Patrol

151

of 233 officers

64.8% Accident

CA — Statewide

719

of 1,837 officers

39.1% Accident

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Accident