Roll of Honor

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Captain

Edward A. O'Donnell

West Homestead Borough Police Department — West Homestead, PA

Accident

End of Watch May 2, 1938

Age 36

Tour of Duty 3 mo

The Vigil Panel 74 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Captain Edward O'Donnell succumbed to injuries sustained the previous day in a motorcycle accident while attempting to catch a vehicle that had run a red light.

Captain O'Donnell and another officer were both on the motorcycle when it collided with a car pulling out of of a driveway at 126 West Eighth Avenue. Both officers were thrown to the pavement and suffered severe injuries.

Captain O'Donnell had served with the West Homestead Police Department for three months.

Thank you for your service and please know that no passage of time can ever erase your memory and sacrifice. Rest in peace always.

Detective Cpl/3 Steven Rizzo Delaware State Police (Retired) May 2nd, 2021

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-PA-36C6671F
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.
Captain O'Donnell served with the West Homestead Borough Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the West Homestead community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Captain O'Donnell.

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

Agency

Department West Homestead Borough Police Department

Location West Homestead, PA

Platform Identity whbpd.allegheny.pa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 2, 1938

Tour of Duty 3 mo

Age 36

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Cause Detail Motorcycle crash

Captain Edward A. O'Donnell 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 PA, 417 of 1,261 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 33.1% of this state's fallen. That is 2.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

West Homestead Borough Police Department

of 1 officers

100% Accident

PA — Statewide

417

of 1,261 officers

33.1% 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. Edward A. O'Donnell'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 Edward A. O'Donnell Compares

Age at End of Watch

This officer

Avg for Accident: 38.1 years

Years of Service

0.2