Roll of Honor
Gerald L. Martin
Incident
Reserve Deputy Gerald Martin was struck and killed by a race car while working a security detail at the Twin Cities Speedway near Vernon. While Reserve Deputy Martin was speaking with a subject regarding an argument with two others at the track, he was struck from behind by a race car. The race car's accelerator apparently stuck when coming around the outside turn of the track. This caused its driver to lose control and the vehicle went over the curve, end over end, before striking all four individuals. Reserve Deputy Martin died a short time later at Jennings Community Hospital from his injuries that also killed the subject he was speaking with.
Reserve Deputy Martin had served with the Jennings County Sheriff's Department for five years and was a dispatcher with the North Vernon Police Department. He was also a US Air Force veteran of the Korean War.
Survivors
Reserve Deputy Martin was survived by a son, three daughters, parents, brother and four grandchildren.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-IN-D1F736C1- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 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.
Reserve Deputy Sheriff Martin gave the Jennings County Sheriff's Department 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the North Vernon community. Thank you 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
Gerald L. Martin served in the U.S. Air Force before joining law enforcement.
Reserve Deputy Sheriff Gerald L. Martin is one of 10,095 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,587 officers honored here.
In IN, 152 of 504 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 30.2% of this state's fallen. That is 0.8 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Gerald L. Martin's cause is highlighted.
How Gerald L. Martin Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Gerald L. Martin is highlighted in Jul.
Military Service
Gerald L. Martin served in the U.S. Air Force before joining law enforcement.
Visit Gerald L. Martin’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.