Seminole Police Department, Oklahoma
End of Watch: Friday, October 23, 1936
Age: 54
Tour of Duty: 6 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Vehicular assault
Date of Incident: October 23, 1936
Weapon Used: Automobile; Alcohol involved
Suspect Info: Charged with Murder
Officer Hugh Reynolds was killed by a drunk driver while working a traffic accident.
Officer Reynolds was one of the first officers to respond to a three car accident about one mile northwest of Seminole on Highway 270. Two people were killed in the crash and a large crowd gathered while the police were responding. Officer Reynolds along with other officers, began caring for the injured, directing traffic around the accident scene and trying to disperse the gathering crowd. During these actions, another officer saw a vehicle approaching the accident site at a high rate of speed. When he saw that the speeding car was not going to be able to avoid the wrecked cars on the highway, he yelled at the other officers to get out of the way. Officer Reynolds had barely finished forcing a group of bystanders off of the roadway when the oncoming vehicle hit him, crashed into the wreckage and pinned him in between them. The force of the crash was so great that it took two wreckers more than two hours to separate the wrecked cars enough to remove his body.
The driver of the car that killed Officer Reynolds was determined to have been drunk at the time of the accident. Murder charges were filed against him the next day.
Officer Reynolds had served with the Seminole Police Department for four years. He had previously served as a Deputy Sheriff at Cromwell and a Constable at Seminole for two years.
Officer Reynolds was survived by his wife, two sons, and four daughters.