Ralph R. Newell

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

Accident Veteran

End of Watch October 28, 1988

Age 48

Tour of Duty 22 yrs

Badge U-3

The Vigil Panel 133 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 27

Incident

Sergeant Ralph Newell was killed when his patrol car struck the back of a tractor-trailer that was crossing the highway while driving en route to Jackson, Mississippi, on Highway 49. Low visibility due to fog was a contributing factor in the crash. Sergeant Newell was a United States Navy veteran and had served with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety - Mississippi Highway Patrol for 22 years, assigned to Troop J. He was survived by his wife, daughter, two stepsons, mother, two brothers, and there sisters. A portion of Highway 49 in Covington County was dedicated to Staff Sergeant Newell on October 18, 2007.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, daughter, two stepsons, mother, two brothers, and there sisters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MS-F3895E75
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.
Staff Sergeant Newell gave the Mississippi Department of Public Safety 22 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Mississippi, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— 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 October 28, 1988

Tour of Duty 22 yrs

Age 48

Badge Number U-3

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Ralph R. Newell served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Staff Sergeant Ralph R. Newell 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