Joe Clay

Mississippi Department of Public Safety - Mississippi Highway Patrol — Jackson, MS

Accident

End of Watch May 27, 1974

Age 53

Tour of Duty 15 yrs

Badge H-17

The Vigil Panel 113 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 27

Incident

Sergeant Clay was killed in an automobile accident while pursuing a violator on a Winston County road. The patrol car Sergeant Clay was riding in went out of control and crashed. Sergeant Clay's partner received minor injuries. The suspect was never apprehended. Sergeant Clay had been with the agency for 15 years and was assigned to Troop H.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and son.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MS-5B43567F
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.
Sergeant Clay gave the Mississippi Department of Public Safety 15 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Mississippi. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Clay.

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

Agency

Department Mississippi Department of Public Safety - Mississippi Highway Patrol

Location Jackson, MS

Platform Identity mdpsmhp.ms.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 27, 1974

Tour of Duty 15 yrs

Age 53

Badge Number H-17

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Weapon Automobile

Offender Never apprehended

Sergeant Joe Clay 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 MS, 89 of 349 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 25.5% of this state's fallen. That is 5.5 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.

At Mississippi Department of Public Safety - Mississippi Highway Patrol, 17 of 28 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 60.7% of this agency's fallen.

Mississippi Department of Public Safety - Mississippi Highway Patrol

of 28 officers

60.7% Accident

MS — Statewide

of 349 officers

25.5% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident