Roll of Honor
Incident
Patrolman Harold DeGear was killed when he was crushed between his patrol car and another car during a traffic stop on 6th Street SW near 20th Avenue SW in Cedar Rapids. As he wrote a ticket to the driver of the vehicle he had stopped another vehicle attempted to pass a truck and struck the rear the Trooper DeGear's patrol car. Patrolman DeGear was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries the next day. Patrolman DeGear was a U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran of both WWII and the Korean War. He had served with the Iowa Highway Patrol for 6-1/2 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and 2-year-old son.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-IA-CD9E8BFD- 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.
Patrolman DeGear gave the Iowa State Patrol 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Iowa, 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
Harold Clarence DeGear served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Patrolman Harold Clarence DeGear 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 IA, 71 of 226 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 31.4% of this state's fallen. That is 0.4 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At Iowa State Patrol, 9 of 12 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 75% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Harold Clarence DeGear's cause is highlighted.
How Harold Clarence DeGear Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Harold Clarence DeGear is highlighted in Feb.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
11 officers from Iowa State Patrol are honored on badge.nw.
