Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant William Kelleher was killed when his motorcycle collided with a city sanitation truck at State Road and Ashburner Street. He was on his way to the Police Academy with forms he had picked up at police headquarters for a class he was teaching. He later died at Nazareth Hospital. Sergeant Kelleher served with the Philadelphia Police Department for more than eight years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and three children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-PA-6D3C310F- 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.
Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew William. Claim this record.
This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.
Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Sergeant Kelleher gave the Philadelphia Police Department 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the Philadelphia community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Kelleher.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sergeant William J. Kelleher 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%.
At Philadelphia Police Department, 110 of 378 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 29.1% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William J. Kelleher's cause is highlighted.
How William J. Kelleher Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. William J. Kelleher is highlighted in May.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
377 officers from Philadelphia Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
