Madison County Sheriff's Office, Illinois
End of Watch: Thursday, December 30, 1976
Age: 23
Tour of Duty: 3 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Automobile crash
Date of Incident: December 30, 1976
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Deputy Sheriff James Abel was killed in an automobile crash while responding to an officer needs assistance call.
His vehicle struck a patch of ice on Chain of Rocks Road, near Maryville Road, and struck a utility pole. His patrol car caught fire as a result of the impact and Deputy Abel was killed.
Deputy Abel had served with the Madison County Sheriff's Office for only three months and was a U.S. Coast Guard veteran of the Vietnam War. He is survived by his wife, daughter, two grandchildren, and parents.