David Z. Ernst
Agency patch
Trooper

David Z. Ernst

New Jersey State Police — West Trenton, NJ
Accident
End of Watch August 4, 1927
Age 27
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 1 mo
The Vigil Panel 53 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Trooper Ernst succumbed to injuries sustained the previous day when he was involved in a motorcycle accident while on patrol. He was told to go home and return to office work the following day. While seated at his desk he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and died.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
September 9, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

You barely got started.
Trooper Ernst gave the New Jersey State Police 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the people of New Jersey. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Trooper Ernst.

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

Agency

Type State Police
Location West Trenton, NJ
Platform Identity njsp.nj.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 4, 1927
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 1 mo
Age 27
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident
Cause Detail Motorcycle crash

The Sacrifice · Accident

David 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
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 1927, 114 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 2nd heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

David was 27. 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. David had served 1.1 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

August holds 9.5% of these deaths in the United States, more than any other month. Thursdays: 14%.

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

New Jersey State Police has 84 officers remembered here, David among them.

Across the years

Trooper David Z. Ernst

New Jersey State Police · End of Watch August 4, 1927

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 62-W

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