Roll of Honor
Incident
Jailer John Kavajecz was killed in an automobile crash while riding in a patrol car with the sheriff. Another driver of a vehicle failed to stop at a stop sign and broadsided the patrol car at the intersection of Highway 63 and Highway 112, south of Ashland.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, four sons, and four daughters.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-WI-2E7ABC14- 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.
Jailer Kavajecz gave the Bayfield County Sheriff's Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Washburn community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Jailer Kavajecz.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Jailer John Joseph Kavajecz 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 WI, 124 of 317 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 39.1% of this state's fallen. That is 8.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At Bayfield County Sheriff's Department, 1 of 2 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John Joseph Kavajecz's cause is highlighted.
How John Joseph Kavajecz Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. John Joseph Kavajecz is highlighted in Dec.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Bayfield County Sheriff's Department are honored on badge.nw.
