Bruce Clark Rankin
Agency patch
Trooper

Bruce Clark Rankin

Pennsylvania State Police — Harrisburg, PA
Accident
End of Watch April 25, 1973
Age 25
Tour of Duty 2 yrs 3 mo
The Vigil Panel 111 ›
Gender Male

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

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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

Type State Police
Location Harrisburg, Dauphin County, PA
Platform Identity pasp.pa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 25, 1973
Tour of Duty 2 yrs 3 mo
Age 25
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

Bruce is one of 8,275 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.

33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

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.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

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.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

April holds 7% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Wednesdays: 14.5%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Pennsylvania State Police has 87 officers remembered here, Bruce among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Trooper Bruce Clark Rankin

Pennsylvania State Police · End of Watch April 25, 1973

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 34-W

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