Prev Next
Rick Lee Johnson
Trooper

Rick Lee Johnson

MI State Police — Lansing, MI
Accident
United States flag Michigan flag
End of Watch May 6, 2000
Age 35
Tour of Duty 5 yrs
The Vigil Panel 147 ›
Gender Male
Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 56

Incident

Trooper Rick Johnson was killed after being struck by a vehicle during a traffic stop on I-94 in Van Buren County, Michigan.

The trooper had approached the stopped vehicle on the passenger side and was returning to his Chevy Tahoe cruiser when a third vehicle ran off of the roadway and rear-ended his vehicle right as he was walking in between it and the vehicle he had stopped. He was momentarily pinned between the two vehicles before the Tahoe spun into the travel lanes, trapping him underneath.

Trooper Johnson was flown to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The driver of the vehicle which struck him received minor injuries in the crash.

On the day before the incident, Trooper Johnson had convinced a suicidal man not to jump off of an overpass near the site of the accident.

Trooper Johnson had served with the Michigan State Police for five years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and young children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
neuraspine_01krbxtr0jg0f3y2tgyd0nva9k
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Rick. Claim this record.

This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.

Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Trooper Johnson gave the Michigan State Police 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Michigan. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Trooper Johnson.

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

Agency

Department MI State Police
Type State Police
Location Lansing, Ingham County, MI
Platform Identity msp.mi.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 6, 2000
Tour of Duty 5 yrs
Age 35
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

Rick 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.

  3. See the roll
  4. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 2000, 85 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 19th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Rick was 35. 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. Rick 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

May holds 8.6% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Saturdays: 14.9%.

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

MI State Police has 57 officers remembered here, Rick among them.

Across the years

Trooper Rick Lee Johnson

MI State Police · End of Watch May 6, 2000

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 55-W

↑