Incident
Trooper Bruce Rankin was killed when his unmarked cruiser was struck by a tractor-trailer during a heavy rainstorm at 9;30 am. The tractor-trailer jumped across the median of Route 119 in Greensburg when the driver braked to avoid crashing into another vehicle. Trooper Rankin was traveling south and was hit head-on by the tractor-trailer. He was pinned in the wreckage of his cruiser for over thirty minutes. He was pronounced dead at the Westmoreland Hospital. Trooper Rankin had served with the Pennsylvania State Police for two years, assigned to Troop A in Greensburg.
Survivors
He was survived by his fiancee, parents, and sister.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
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- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Trooper Rankin gave the Pennsylvania State Police 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Pennsylvania. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Trooper Rankin.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
The Sacrifice · Accident
Pennsylvania State Police has lost 87 officers; 42 of them lost to accidents.
Bruce is one of 417 officers lost to accidents in PA, 33% of the 1,262 remembered there.
Bruce is one of 8,275 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.
Bruce is one of 10,100 officers lost to accidents worldwide, 29.8% of the 33,917 remembered here.
33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.
Time
In 1973, 1 officer at Pennsylvania State Police was lost to accidents, the 9th heaviest of 32 years on record. The heaviest was 1927, with 3.
In 1973, 4 officers in PA were lost to accidents, the 31st heaviest of 133 years on record. The heaviest was 1932, with 14.
In 1973, 90 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 13th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.
In 1973, 106 officers worldwide were lost to accidents, the 13th heaviest of 200 years on record. The heaviest was 1930, with 131.
Who
Bruce was 25. Of the 42 lost to accidents at Pennsylvania State Police whose age is recorded, half were between 28 and 42.8; the middle age was 31.5. Bruce had served 2.2 years; the middle length of service was 5.5 years.
Bruce was 25. Of the 412 lost to accidents in PA whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 48.3; the middle age was 38. Bruce had served 2.2 years; the middle length of service was 8.6 years.
Bruce was 25. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36. Bruce had served 2.2 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.
Bruce was 25. Of the 9,451 lost to accidents worldwide whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 45; the middle age was 36. Bruce had served 2.2 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.
When
April holds 9.5% of these deaths at Pennsylvania State Police; January holds the most, 14.3%. Wednesdays: 16.7%.
April holds 7.2% of these deaths in PA; October holds the most, 10.6%. Wednesdays: 14.6%.
April holds 7% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Wednesdays: 14.5%.
April holds 7% of these deaths worldwide; August holds the most, 9.3%. Wednesdays: 14.5%.
How
Accident deaths account for 48.3% of all 87 deaths at Pennsylvania State Police, the most common cause.
Accident deaths account for 33% of all 1,262 deaths in PA, the 2nd most common cause.
Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.
Accident deaths account for 29.8% of all 33,917 deaths worldwide, the 2nd most common cause.
His people
Pennsylvania State Police has 87 officers remembered here, Bruce among them.
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John F. Henry
Sep 2, 1906
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Francis A. Zehringer
Sep 2, 1906
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Timothy Kelleher
Sep 14, 1907
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Mark Anthony Prynn
Feb 9, 1909
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John Garscia
Feb 21, 1909
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John L. Williams
Aug 22, 1909
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John Curtis Smith Aug 23, 1909
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Robert V. Myers
Mar 28, 1913
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Andrew W. Czap
Apr 29, 1918
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John Francis Dargus May 31, 1918
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Chester Arthur Kuhns Oct 6, 1918
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Joseph B. Malloy Oct 9, 1918
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Zoe Andrew Remaly Oct 15, 1918
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George Edward Higgins Oct 20, 1918
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Joseph Roland Brown
Oct 22, 1918
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Edward Clarence Jackson
Oct 23, 1918
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John Patrick McLaughlin Oct 24, 1918
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James A. Walsh Dec 15, 1918
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Stanley Webster Christ
Dec 1, 1919
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Benjamin F. McEvoy
Sep 20, 1923
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William John Omlor
Oct 25, 1923
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Francis Leo Haley
Oct 14, 1924
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Edwin Francis Haas
Oct 17, 1924
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Bernard St. Clair McElroy Dec 21, 1924
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Bertram Beech Dec 10, 1925
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Claude Frederick Keesey
Jan 4, 1927
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Thomas Edward Lipka Apr 3, 1927
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John Marion Thomas
May 8, 1927
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John J. Downey
Aug 22, 1927
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Charles Lester Stewart
Jul 18, 1930
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Timothy George McCarthy
May 12, 1931
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James Andrew Seerey
Sep 10, 1934
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Floyd William Maderia
Dec 11, 1934
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John E. Fessler
Apr 23, 1937
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Joseph Andrew Hoffer
Apr 27, 1937
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John A. Ditkosky
Jul 24, 1950
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Floyd Bruce Clouse
Nov 2, 1953
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Joseph Francis McMillen
May 12, 1956
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Philip C. Melley
Nov 3, 1957
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Charles Stanley Stanski, Jr.
Jan 23, 1958
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Edward Mackiw
May 31, 1958
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Stephen R. Gyurke
Aug 24, 1958
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Francis Michael Tessitore
Aug 5, 1960
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Anthony Bensch
Oct 3, 1961
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Edward William Gundel
Mar 18, 1962
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Richard Gilbert Barnhart
Aug 8, 1964
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Gary Richard Rosenberger
Dec 12, 1970
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John Severin Valent
Dec 9, 1971
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Robert D. Lapp, Jr.
Oct 16, 1972
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Bruce Clark Rankin
Apr 25, 1973
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Ross Edmond Snowden
Jan 17, 1974
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Leo Michael Koscelnick
Aug 15, 1977
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Joseph John Welsch
Sep 13, 1977
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Wayne Carl Ebert
Jun 7, 1978
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Albert Joseph Izzo
Jun 13, 1979
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David Dominick Monahan
Apr 17, 1980
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Herbert A. Wirfel
Feb 7, 1982
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William Richard Evans
Jan 6, 1983
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Frank Joseph Bowen
Oct 26, 1983
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Gary William Fisher
Feb 3, 1985
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John James Brown
Feb 14, 1985
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Roark Herbert Ross
May 15, 1986
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Clinton Wayne Crawford
Aug 17, 1987
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John Anthony Andrulewicz
May 9, 1988
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Paul I. Almer
Apr 12, 1989
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Wayne Dennis Bilheimer
Apr 12, 1989
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Arthur Lee Hershey
Jan 3, 1999
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Matthew Rand Bond
Jan 14, 2000
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Tod Carlyle Kelly
Nov 7, 2001
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Joseph James Sepp, Jr.
Nov 10, 2002
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Brian Allen Patterson
Feb 14, 2003
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Joseph Raymond Pokorny, Jr.
Dec 12, 2005
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Joshua Daniel Miller
Jun 7, 2009
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Paul Garmong Richey
Jan 13, 2010
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Blake T. Coble
Oct 4, 2012
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Bryon Keith Dickson, II
Sep 12, 2014
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David Kedra
Sep 30, 2014
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Landon Eugene Weaver
Dec 30, 2016
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Michael Paul Stewart, III
Jul 14, 2017
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Donald Case Brackett
May 18, 2019
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Monty Ray Mitchell
Feb 8, 2021
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Dung Xuan Tran Martinez
Oct 21, 2021
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Martin Francis Mack, III
Mar 21, 2022
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Branden Tyler Sisca
Mar 21, 2022
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Jacques Felix Rougeau, Jr.
Jun 17, 2023
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Timothy J. O'Connor, Jr.
Mar 8, 2026
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Michael E. Pahira, Jr.
Jul 1, 2026
Where
Where the Name Is Cut
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 34-W
What is kept
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