John Lee Steel
Agency patch
Sergeant

John Lee Steel

California Highway Patrol — Sacramento, CA
Accident
End of Watch April 23, 1993
Age 47
Tour of Duty 21 yrs
Badge 8018
The Vigil Panel 139 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Sergeant John Steel was killed when his motorcycle was struck by a driver who had fallen asleep at the wheel on Irvine Boulevard east of Sand Canyon Road, in Irvine. The suspect was an illegal alien and was deported to Mexico. The man returned to the United States shortly after being deported and was subsequently sent to jail for eight months. Sergeant Steel had served with the California Highway Patrol for 21 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two sons.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

21 years. You could have gone home.
Sergeant Steel gave the California Highway Patrol 21 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, Sergeant Steel.

— 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 April 23, 1993
Tour of Duty 21 yrs
Age 47
Badge Number 8018
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 1993, 58 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 77th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

John was 47. 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 21 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

April holds 7% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Fridays: 15.1%.

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
VI

Where

Sergeant John Lee Steel

California Highway Patrol · End of Watch April 23, 1993

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 50-W

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