Roll of Honor
Incident
Corrections Employee William Spears and Corrections Employee Ora Ambrose were killed in an automobile accident near the Indiana Boys' School in Plainfield.
Corrections Employee Ambrose, Corrections Employee Spears and others had been searching for three boys who escaped from the institution earlier in the afternoon. When the search was called off at dusk, another individual gave up his seat in the vehicle Corrections Employee Ambrose was driving to permit Corrections Employee Spears to return to the institution with him.
As they approached a railroad crossing about one-half mile west of Plainfield at 6:00 pm, their vehicle was struck by an eastbound train, killing both of them instantly. Corrections Employee Ambrose was thrown down an embankment 400 feet from the crossing, while Corrections Employee Spears became lodged on the engine pilot.
Corrections Employee Spears had served with the Indiana Department of Correction for 12 years.
William, On today, the 110th anniversary of your death I would just like to say thank you for your service and sacrifice for the citizens of the state of Indiana. There is no tougher job in Law Enforcement than that of a Corrections Officer.
R.I.P. USBP
Anonymous United States Border Patrol October 18th, 2023
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-IN-BC38C2CA- 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.
Corrections Employee Spears gave the Indiana Department of Correction 12 years.
Thank you for your service to the Indianapolis community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Corrections Employee Spears.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Corrections Employee William T. Spears 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 IN, 151 of 503 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 30% of this state's fallen. That is 1 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
At Indiana Department of Correction, 2 of 12 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 16.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William T. Spears's cause is highlighted.
How William T. Spears Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. William T. Spears is highlighted in Oct.
Others Who Wore This Badge
11 officers from Indiana Department of Correction are honored on badge.nw.
