Ricky Bill Stovall
Agency patch
Officer

Ricky Bill Stovall

California Highway Patrol — Sacramento, CA
Accident
End of Watch February 24, 1998
Age 39
Tour of Duty 18 yrs
Badge 9623
The Vigil Panel 144 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Ricky Bill Stovall was killed when his patrol car was washed off of a roadway in a terrible storm attributed to the El Niño phenomenon. Officer Stovall and his partner, Officer Britt Irvine, were responding to a call to assist stranded motorists on Highway 166 when the storm washed out the section of roadway they were on. Both officers were killed and several other motorists were washed into the water as well. Their patrol car was found upside down under silt, mud, and debris approximately 100 yards from the roadway. Officer Stovall had served with the California Highway Patrol for 18 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and two children.

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.
Officer Stovall gave the California Highway Patrol 18 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Stovall.

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

Agency

Type Highway Patrol
Location Sacramento, CA
Platform Identity chp.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 24, 1998
Tour of Duty 18 yrs
Age 39
Badge Number 9623
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

Ricky 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 1998, 84 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 21st heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Ricky was 39. 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. Ricky had served 18 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

February holds 7.2% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Tuesdays: 14.1%.

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

California Highway Patrol has at least 120 officers remembered here, Ricky among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Officer Ricky Bill Stovall

California Highway Patrol · End of Watch February 24, 1998

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 53-W

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