Ralph George Zerda
Agency patch
Trooper

Ralph George Zerda

Felonious
End of Watch May 21, 1989
Age 29
Tour of Duty 5 yrs
The Vigil Panel 134 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Trooper Ralph Zerda and Sergeant William Kuhnle were killed when a drunk truck driver crashed his tractor-trailer into their parked patrol car at 3:00 am. The officers were parked on the shoulder of westbound US 9 near Road 1604 after stopping another drunk driver. They were crushed between their patrol vehicle and the vehicle they had stopped. The drunk driver was sentenced to two concurrent 10-year sentences in prison but was released after serving only four years. Trooper Zerda had served with the Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol for five years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and daughter.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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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 Zerda gave the Texas Department of Public Safety 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Texas. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Trooper Zerda.

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

Agency

Type Highway Patrol
Location Austin, Travis County, TX
Platform Identity tdpsthp.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 21, 1989
Tour of Duty 5 yrs
Age 29
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Automobile

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Ralph is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1989, 97 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 55th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Ralph was 29. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Ralph had served 5 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

May holds 8% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Sundays: 15.2%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was automobile, in 4.9% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol has 96 officers remembered here, Ralph among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Trooper Ralph George Zerda

Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol · End of Watch May 21, 1989

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 32-W

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