Roll of Honor
Incident
Patrolman Clay Helms succumbed to injuries sustained four months earlier in a Sante Fe Railroad train derailment near Herndon, California.
He was escorting a mental patient to the Stockton State Hospital when the train they were riding in collided with a three-car work train and derailed. Patrolman Helms suffered several internal injuries causing his health to deteriorate until his death.
Patrolman Helms had served with the Fresno Police Department for three years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and child.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-50BF1AEB- 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.
Patrolman Helms gave the Fresno Police Department 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Fresno community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Helms.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Patrolman Clay V. Helms 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 Police Department, 3 of 15 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 20% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Clay V. Helms's cause is highlighted.
How Clay V. Helms Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Clay V. Helms is highlighted in May.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
14 officers from Fresno Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
