Steve Keith McCulley
Lieutenant

Steve Keith McCulley

Accident
End of Watch February 16, 1999
Age 48
Tour of Duty 21 yrs
The Vigil Panel 145 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Lieutenant Steve McCulley was killed when his cruiser was struck by an empty coal train.

He was crossing an unguarded crossing with double tracks when the train struck the passenger side of the car at approximately 43 miles per hour. The passenger side door was pushed into the driver's seat. Lieutenant McCulley was flown to a local hospital, where he later died.

Lieutenant McCulley had served with the Knox County Sheriff's Office for 21 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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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.
Lieutenant McCulley gave the Knox County Sheriff's Office 21 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Knoxville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Lieutenant McCulley.

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

Agency

Type Other
Location Knoxville, Knox County, TN
Platform Identity kcso.knox.tn.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 16, 1999
Tour of Duty 21 yrs
Age 48
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

Steve 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 1999, 71 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 44th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Steve was 48. 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. Steve 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

February holds 7.2% 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 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Knox County Sheriff's Department has 11 officers remembered here, Steve among them.

VI

Where

Lieutenant Steve Keith McCulley

Knox County Sheriff's Department · End of Watch February 16, 1999

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 29-E

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