Ralph A. Vargas
Agency patch
Officer

Ralph A. Vargas

California Highway Patrol — Sacramento, CA
Accident
End of Watch September 30, 1952
Age 26
Tour of Duty 2 yrs
Badge 553
The Vigil Panel 88 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Vargas was killed in a motorcycle crash while on patrol in a residential area in Santa Clara around 7:45 p.m.

Another vehicle suddenly turned in front of him while he was driving on Santa Clara - Saratoga Road (present-day Saratoga Avenue) near Meridian Corners (present-day Stevens Creek Boulevard), causing a collision. He was transported to Santa Clara County Hospital (present-day Santa Clara Valley Medical Center), where he succumbed to his injuries the next day.

Officer Vargas had served with the California Highway Patrol for almost four years.

Survivors

Survivors include his wife and son.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
NW-3GXS-QFAV-B earlier record number BO-US-CA-FBB34569
Stewardship
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.
Officer Vargas gave the California Highway Patrol 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Vargas.

— 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 September 30, 1952
Tour of Duty 2 yrs
Age 26
Badge Number 553
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

Ralph is one of 8,274 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,543 remembered there.

33,910 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 1952, 52 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 90th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Ralph was 26. Of the 7,715 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36. Ralph had served 2 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

September holds 9.2% 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 27,543 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, Ralph among them.

Across the years

Officer Ralph A. Vargas

California Highway Patrol · End of Watch September 30, 1952

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 21-W

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