Roll of Honor
Incident
Trooper John Duncan was killed in an automobile crash on Turnbull Road while assisting another trooper in a vehicle pursuit.
The other trooper had made a traffic stop and had asked the driver of the vehicle for permission to search it. Trooper Duncan arrived on the scene to assist when the suspect began struggling with the troopers. The suspect was able to return to his vehicle and drive away, with both troopers following.
During the pursuit, Trooper Duncan lost control of his patrol car, crossed the center lane, and struck a group of trees. On impact, the patrol car caught fire and exploded. The suspect was arrested and charged with several traffic and criminal charges in connection with the incident. On July 18th, 2002, the suspect pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 29 months in prison. He was paroled on September 26th, 2003. In May 2016, the man was shot and killed in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
On November 8th, 2021, the North Carolina Department of Transportation renamed the I-95 overpass at N.C. 87 the Trooper John H. Duncan Jr. Bridge.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NC-77391CF0- 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.
Trooper Duncan gave the North Carolina Highway Patrol 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of North Carolina, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
John Henry Duncan, Jr. served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Trooper John Henry Duncan, Jr. 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 NC, 205 of 664 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 30.9% of this state's fallen.
At North Carolina Highway Patrol, 41 of 69 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 59.4% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John Henry Duncan, Jr.'s cause is highlighted.
How John Henry Duncan, Jr. Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. John Henry Duncan, Jr. is highlighted in Jan.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
68 officers from North Carolina Highway Patrol are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
