Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Sheriff Bobbie Vest was killed in a single automobile crash while on patrol near Arkansas City. Deputy Vest was on a regular road patrol accompanied by his son. He was about nine miles east of Arkansas City, headed towards Dexter on U.S. Route 166 around 8:45 p.m., when he lost control of the patrol car. It went into the ditch and traveled about 200 feet before it turned over and stopped on its roof. Both men were brought to Memorial Hospital in Arkansas City. Deputy Vest died before morning, and his son recovered. Deputy Vest was a United States Army Air Forces WWII veteran and had served with the Cowley County Sheriff's Office for nine months.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-KS-3C50D769- 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.
Deputy Sheriff Vest served with the Cowley County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Winfield community, 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
Robert H. Vest, Sr. served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Deputy Sheriff Robert H. Vest, Sr. 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 KS, 66 of 335 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 19.7% of this state's fallen. That is 11.3 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
At Cowley County Sheriff's Office, 2 of 3 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Robert H. Vest, Sr.'s cause is highlighted.
How Robert H. Vest, Sr. Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Robert H. Vest, Sr. is highlighted in Jan.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
2 officers from Cowley County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
