Roll of Honor
Incident
Trooper Bernard Skeeters was killed when his patrol car was struck from behind by a tractor-trailer on I-55. Working a safety detail at about 9:00 a.m., Trooper Skeeters was patrolling southbound on I-55 behind an Illinois Department of Transportation paint truck. A semi-trailer truck driver, having fallen asleep behind the wheel, slammed into Trooper Skeeters' squad car. Trooper Skeeters' squad car was forced into the IDOT paint truck which was carrying flammable paints and thinners. Both the squad car and paint truck exploded and were engulfed in flames. The three-vehicle accident instantly killed Trooper Skeeters. The drivers of both the IDOT truck and the semi-trailer survived the accident. The semi-trailer driver was charged with reckless homicide. However, a jury could not reach a unanimous decision to convict him. Trooper Bernard Skeeters was a U.S Army veteran of the Vietnam war who served with the Illinois State Police for 12 years and was assigned to District 9 in Springfield.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and three sons.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-IL-E10A0D61- 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.
Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Bernard. Claim this record.
This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.
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.
Trooper Skeeters gave the Illinois State Police 12 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Illinois, 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
Bernard Delano Skeeters served in the Army (1965â1971) before joining law enforcement.
Trooper Bernard Delano Skeeters 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 IL, 354 of 1,318 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 26.9% of this state's fallen. That is 4.1 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
At Illinois State Police, 49 of 67 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 73.1% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Bernard Delano Skeeters's cause is highlighted.
How Bernard Delano Skeeters Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Bernard Delano Skeeters is highlighted in May.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
66 officers from Illinois State Police are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
