James P. Gardner

Ohio State Highway Patrol — Columbus, OH

Accident Veteran

End of Watch February 28, 1948

Age 24

Tour of Duty 5 mo

Badge 172

The Vigil Panel 84 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 41

Incident

Patrolman James Gardner was killed in an automobile crash while pursuing a vehicle at 8:20 p.m. His patrol car collided with another vehicle and then struck a telephone pole on Highway 62 near Alliance. The other patrolman in the vehicle was seriously injured. Patrolman Gardner was a U.S. Navy veteran of WWII and had served with the Ohio State Highway Patrol for only 5 months, assigned to the Massillon Post.

Survivors

He was survived by his parents.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-OH-6D7BFD36
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.
Patrolman Gardner served with the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Thank you for your service to the people of Ohio, 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 Ohio State Highway Patrol

Location Columbus, OH

Platform Identity oshp.oh.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 28, 1948

Tour of Duty 5 mo

Age 24

Badge Number 172

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

James P. Gardner served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Patrolman James P. Gardner 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 OH, 318 of 991 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 32.1% of this state's fallen. That is 1.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

At Ohio State Highway Patrol, 33 of 42 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 78.6% of this agency's fallen.

Ohio State Highway Patrol

of 42 officers

78.6% Accident

OH — Statewide

318

of 991 officers

32.1% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident