Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Sheriff James Cranston succumbed to injuries sustained four days earlier when he was struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Miller Road and Linden Road in Flint Township. He was interviewing two other drivers who had been involved in an early morning accident when another vehicle struck him. He suffered massive leg and internal injuries when he was hit. The driver who struck him was charged with felonious driving and manslaughter and sentenced to five years probation with the first two months served in county jail. Deputy Cranston had served with the Genesee County Sheriff's Office for 12 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and son.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MI-872E634D- 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.
Deputy Sheriff Cranston gave the Genesee County Sheriff's Office 12 years.
Thank you for your service to the Flint community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Cranston.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Sheriff James Wilbert Cranston 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 MI, 229 of 718 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 31.9% of this state's fallen. That is 0.9 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At Genesee County Sheriff's Office, 1 of 2 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James Wilbert Cranston's cause is highlighted.
How James Wilbert Cranston Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. James Wilbert Cranston is highlighted in Jul.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Genesee County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
