Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Sheriff William Collins succumbed to injuries sustained three years earlier when the car he was riding in was struck by a gasoline truck near Galt.
He and the undersheriff were searching for a witness in an upcoming murder trial when the crash occurred. Deputy Collins suffered severe head and body injuries which lead to his death three years later.
Deputy Collins had served with the Fresno County Sheriff's Office for 13 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and son, both of whom served with the agency as well.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-4D139FA1- 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.
Deputy Sheriff Collins gave the Fresno County Sheriff's Office 13 years.
Thank you for your service to the Fresno community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Collins.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Sheriff William Harry Collins 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 CA, 719 of 1,837 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 39.1% of this state's fallen. That is 8.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At Fresno County Sheriff's Office, 6 of 15 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 40% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William Harry Collins's cause is highlighted.
How William Harry Collins Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. William Harry Collins is highlighted in Feb.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
14 officers from Fresno County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
