Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Donald Brandon was killed in an automobile accident while on patrol at the intersection of Upjohn Avenue and Downs Avenue in Ridgecrest. While traveling west on Upjohn Avenue, a vehicle broadsided his cruiser. He succumbed to his injuries at the scene. Officer Brandon was a United States Air Force Korean War veteran and had served with California Highway Patrol for less than one year.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, son, father, three sisters, and one brother.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-9C8908AF- 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 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 Brandon gave the California Highway Patrol 1 year.
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
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Donald E. Brandon served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Officer Donald E. Brandon 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 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.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Donald E. Brandon's cause is highlighted.
How Donald E. Brandon Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Donald E. Brandon is highlighted in Apr.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
232 officers from California Highway Patrol are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
