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Incident
Sergeant John Burright succumbed to injuries sustained on September 4th, 2001, when he struck by a vehicle near mile marker 243 on I-5 near Albany. Senior Trooper Maria Mignano and Police Officer Jason Hoerauf, of the Albany Police Department, were killed in the same incident while all three were assisting a family whose van had broken down.
Officer Hoerauf was on a ride-along with his mentor, Sergeant Burright, when the two stopped to assist the van. Trooper Mignano responded to the scene to back them up. While the three officers were standing on the right side of the van, which was parked on the right shoulder, a pickup truck suddenly swerved across a lane of traffic. The pickup struck the right rear of Trooper Mignano's patrol car, traveled along the other two vehicles, and struck all three officers. The driver of the vehicle was driving on a suspended license at the time and had fallen asleep while driving.
Trooper Mignano and Officer Hoerauf succumbed to their injuries at the scene. Sergeant Burright was flown to a local hospital in extremely critical condition. He suffered critical injuries that caused him to medically retire in early 2002. He remained under continuous medical care until succumbing to complications of his injuries on May 4th, 2021.
In December 2001, the man plead guilty to criminally negligent homicide and was sentenced to two days in jail and three years of probation as part of a plea bargain.
Sergeant Burright had served with the Oregon State Police for 14 years.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and three sons.
In Our Keeping
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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.
Sergeant Burright gave the Oregon State Police 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Oregon. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Burright.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
The Sacrifice · Accident
Oregon State Police has lost 31 officers; 15 of them lost to accidents.
John is one of 66 officers lost to accidents in OR, 33.5% of the 197 remembered there.
John is one of 8,275 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.
John is one of 10,100 officers lost to accidents worldwide, 29.6% of the 34,117 remembered here.
34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.
Time
In 2021, 1 officer at Oregon State Police was lost to accidents, the 4th heaviest of 11 years on record. The heaviest was 1997, with 3.
In 2021, 1 officer in OR was lost to accidents, the 19th heaviest of 45 years on record. The heaviest was 1961, with 3.
In 2021, 54 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 86th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.
In 2021, 55 officers worldwide were lost to accidents, the 96th heaviest of 200 years on record. The heaviest was 1930, with 131.
Who
John was 61. Of the 11 lost to accidents at Oregon State Police whose age is recorded, half were between 27 and 42; the middle age was 36. John had served 14 years; the middle length of service was 8 years.
John was 61. Of the 59 lost to accidents in OR whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 44.5; the middle age was 36. John had served 14 years; the middle length of service was 5 years.
John was 61. 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. John had served 14 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.
John was 61. Of the 9,451 lost to accidents worldwide whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 45; the middle age was 36. John had served 14 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.
When
May holds 20% of these deaths at Oregon State Police; September holds the most, 40%. Tuesdays: 26.7%.
May holds 16.7% of these deaths in OR, more than any other month. Tuesdays: 22.7%.
May holds 8.6% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Tuesdays: 14.1%.
May holds 8.4% of these deaths worldwide; August holds the most, 9.3%. Tuesdays: 14%.
How
Accident deaths account for 48.4% of all 31 deaths at Oregon State Police, the 2nd most common cause.
Accident deaths account for 33.5% of all 197 deaths in OR, 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 29.6% of all 34,117 deaths worldwide, the 2nd most common cause.
His people
Oregon State Police has 31 officers remembered here, John among them.
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Amos L. Helms
Dec 30, 1931
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Burrell Milo Baucom
Jul 1, 1933
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Ira A. Warren
Apr 7, 1938
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Elmer Ray Pyle
Aug 17, 1938
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Willard A. Tubbs
Jun 21, 1939
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George R. Cameron
Jul 5, 1944
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Theodore R. Chambers
Apr 29, 1945
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Delmond Edward Rondeau
Apr 25, 1947
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LeRoy H. Spickerman
Jan 17, 1948
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Earl A. Burtch
Sep 22, 1948
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William Thomas Levinson
Sep 7, 1950
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Dale Benjamin Courtney
Oct 1, 1950
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Philip B. Lowd
Jun 24, 1952
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Richard Francis O'Connor
May 8, 1956
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Charles Curry Sanders
Feb 22, 1957
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Frederick Christian Kielhorn
Sep 9, 1961
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Ralph D. Bates
Nov 8, 1962
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William M. Hall
May 11, 1967
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Donald Timothy Welp
Nov 15, 1967
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Dan Austin Nelson
Jul 28, 1972
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Harold Roy Berg
May 10, 1975
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Holly Vernon Holcomb
Nov 25, 1975
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James D. Shepherd
May 22, 1980
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Donald E. Smith
Jul 11, 1983
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Bret Robert Clodfelter
Sep 30, 1992
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Scott Alan Lyons
Sep 2, 1997
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James Dallas Rector
Sep 2, 1997
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Richard James Schuening
Oct 2, 1997
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Maria Mignano
Sep 4, 2001
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William Robert Hakim
Dec 12, 2008
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John Richard Burright
May 4, 2021
Where
Where the Name Is Cut
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 50-E
What is kept
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Others Who Wore This Badge
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