Ralph W. Arnold
Agency patch
Patrolman

Ralph W. Arnold

Accident
End of Watch September 17, 1936
Age 24
Tour of Duty 7 yrs
The Vigil Panel 72 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Patrolman Ralph Arnold was killed in a motorcycle accident while on patrol near Roanoke Rapids in Halifax County.

Patrolman Arnold had served with the North Carolina Highway Patrol for seven years and was a charter member of the agency.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-NC-989E96E8
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.
Patrolman Arnold gave the North Carolina Highway Patrol 7 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of North Carolina. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Arnold.

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

Agency

Location Raleigh, NC
Platform Identity nchp.nc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 17, 1936
Tour of Duty 7 yrs
Age 24
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Patrolman Ralph W. Arnold 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.

North Carolina Highway Patrol
41
of 69 officers
59.4% Accident
NC — Statewide
205
of 664 officers
30.9% Accident
Nationwide
10,088
of 32,508 officers
31% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Ralph W. Arnold's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
17,623 (54.2%)
Accident
10,088 (31%)
Illness
2,974 (9.1%)
Cardiac
1,306 (4%)
Undetermined
260 (0.8%)
Suicide
256 (0.8%)
vehicular
1 (0%)

How Ralph W. Arnold Compares

Age at End of Watch
24
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years
Years of Service
7
This officer
Avg for Accident: 9.1 years

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Ralph W. Arnold is highlighted in Sep.

Jan
820
Feb
730
Mar
748
Apr
707
May
847
Jun
795
Jul
897
Aug
937
Sep
913
Oct
925
Nov
872
Dec
897

Incident Location