William Ricky Hudson
Deputy Sheriff

William Ricky Hudson

Accident
End of Watch February 22, 1990
Age 31
Tour of Duty 5 yrs
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy William Hudson was killed in a vehicle crash resulting from a vehicle pursuit.

Deputy Hudson was pursuing a shooting suspect at 1:13 am. He was attempting to stop at an intersection when his patrol car skidded 26 feet into a tractor-trailer. The vehicle being pursued did not contain the shooting suspect that officers believed they were chasing.

The suspect, however, was apprehended the next day. The man committed suicide by hanging himself in his jail cell two weeks after his guilty plea.

Deputy Hudson had served with the Ben Hill County Sheriff's Office for over five years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, four children, and parents.

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

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Sheriff Hudson gave the Ben Hill County Sheriff's Office 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Fitzgerald community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Hudson.

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

Agency

Type Other
Location Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, GA
Platform Identity bhcso.benhill.ga.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 22, 1990
Tour of Duty 5 yrs
Age 31
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident
Weapon Automobile

The Sacrifice · Accident

William 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 1990, 66 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 64th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

William was 31. 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. William had served 5 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%. 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. The weapon recorded was automobile, in 6.9% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Ben Hill County Sheriff's Department has 4 officers remembered here, William among them.

Deputy Sheriff William Ricky Hudson

Ben Hill County Sheriff's Department · End of Watch February 22, 1990

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 19-W

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