John C. Helmick
Agency patch
Lieutenant

John C. Helmick

California Highway Patrol — Sacramento, CA
Accident
End of Watch February 27, 1989
Age 42
Tour of Duty 20 yrs
Badge 6960
The Vigil Panel 134 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Lieutenant John Helmick was killed in an automobile accident when his department vehicle collided with the state Department of Transportation vehicle. He was en route to speak at a luncheon for an area civic organization. Lieutenant Helmick had been with the California Highway Patrol for 20 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and five 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

20 years. You could have gone home.
Lieutenant Helmick gave the California Highway Patrol 20 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the people of California. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Lieutenant Helmick.

— 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 27, 1989
Tour of Duty 20 yrs
Age 42
Badge Number 6960
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

John 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 1989, 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

John was 42. 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 20 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%. Mondays: 13.4%.

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, John among them.

Across the years

Lieutenant John C. Helmick

California Highway Patrol · End of Watch February 27, 1989

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 16-W

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