Wilburn A. Kelly
Agency patch
Trooper

Wilburn A. Kelly

Florida Highway Patrol — Tallahassee, FL
Accident
End of Watch March 23, 1974
Age 43
Tour of Duty 22 yrs
Gender Male

Incident

Trooper Wilburn Kelly was killed in an automobile crash when he was struck from behind while on patrol in St. Augustine. Trooper Kelly had served with the Florida Highway Patrol for 22 years.

Survivors

He was 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

22 years. You could have gone home.
Trooper Kelly gave the Florida Highway Patrol 22 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the people of Florida. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Trooper Kelly.

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

Agency

Type Highway Patrol
Location Tallahassee, Leon County, FL
Platform Identity fhp.fl.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 23, 1974
Tour of Duty 22 yrs
Age 43
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

Wilburn is one of 8,275 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% 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 1974, 98 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 9th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Wilburn was 43. 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. Wilburn had served 22 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

March holds 7.4% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Saturdays: 14.9%.

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

Florida Highway Patrol has 54 officers remembered here, Wilburn among them.

Across the years

Trooper Wilburn A. Kelly

Florida Highway Patrol · End of Watch March 23, 1974

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 21-E

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