Roll of Honor

Prev Next

Traffic Officer

Nels Theodore Svenson

Wrentham Police Department — Wrentham, MA

Accident

End of Watch April 26, 1922

Age 45

Tour of Duty 12 yrs

The Vigil Panel 43 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Traffic Officer Theodore Svenson succumbed to injuries he received in a motorcycle crash on Boston Pike, present-day Route 1, in front of the Colonial Farm Inn, in Plainville.

Officer Svenson was attempting to stop the driver of a speeding vehicle when the car swerved and struck the front of his motorcycle. He was thrown to the street and sustained a fractured skull and broken neck. He was transported to Sayles Memorial Hospital in Rhode Island, where he passed away four days later.

The driver did not stop but was apprehended in North Attleboro and charged with operating an automobile without a license.

Officer Svenson had served with the Wrentham Police Department for 12 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MA-58656E52
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 Nels. 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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Traffic Officer Svenson gave the Wrentham Police Department 12 years.
Thank you for your service to the Wrentham community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Traffic Officer Svenson.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Wrentham Police Department

Location Wrentham, MA

Platform Identity wrenpd.norfolk.ma.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 26, 1922

Tour of Duty 12 yrs

Age 45

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Cause Detail Motorcycle crash

Traffic Officer Nels Theodore Svenson 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 MA, 158 of 469 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 33.7% of this state's fallen. That is 2.7 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

Wrentham Police Department

of 1 officers

100% Accident

MA — Statewide

158

of 469 officers

33.7% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Nels Theodore Svenson's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

17,623 (54.2%)

Accident

10,088 (31%)

Illness

2,974 (9.1%)

Cardiac

1,306 (4%)

Undetermined

260 (0.8%)

Suicide

256 (0.8%)

vehicular

1 (0%)

How Nels Theodore Svenson Compares

Age at End of Watch

This officer

Avg for Accident: 38.1 years

Years of Service