Roll of Honor
Incident
Trooper Thomas Scanlon and Trooper Ernest Rudd were killed when the police car they were riding in was struck by the Lehigh Valley Railroad's Black Diamond Express at the Route 20 railroad crossing between Geneva and Waterloo. Trooper Scanlon and Trooper Rudd, along with a third trooper, were returning to Waterloo after dropping off a prisoner at the county jail in Canandaigua. The trooper driving the car was seriously injured. Trooper Scanlon was a WWI veteran and had served with the New York State Police for 1-1/2 years.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NY-3458516D- 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 Scanlon gave the New York State Police 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the people of New York, 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
Thomas J. Scanlon served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Trooper Thomas J. Scanlon 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 NY, 645 of 2,147 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 30% of this state's fallen. That is 1 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
At New York State Police, 94 of 171 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 55% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Thomas J. Scanlon's cause is highlighted.
How Thomas J. Scanlon Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Thomas J. Scanlon is highlighted in Oct.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
170 officers from New York State Police are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
