Roll of Honor
Incident
Trooper Steven Niewiek and Trooper James DeLoach were killed when their patrol car was struck by a train as they responded to a call to assist a fellow trooper who was struggling with a suspect at a nearby tavern. At the Scott Lake Road railroad crossing, the troopers crossed in front of an eastbound Canadian National freight train. The patrol car exploded on impact and was thrown about 400 feet. Several citizens were able to pull Trooper Niewiek from the burning car, but due to the intensity of the fire, they were unable to reach Trooper DeLoach, who was pinned in the driver's seat. Trooper DeLoach died instantly, and Trooper Niewiek passed away during surgery at 3:35am the following morning at Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital. Six citizens who pulled the two troopers from the wreckage received the Citizen's Award for Bravery for their actions. Trooper Niewiek had served with the agency for two years.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MI-E1A7614D- Stewardship
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- 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.
Trooper Niewiek gave the Michigan State Police 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Michigan. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Trooper Niewiek.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Trooper Steven J. Niewiek 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 MI State Police, 29 of 57 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 50.9% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Steven J. Niewiek's cause is highlighted.
How Steven J. Niewiek Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Steven J. Niewiek is highlighted in Feb.
Others Who Wore This Badge
56 officers from MI State Police are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
