Riverside County Sheriff's Department, California
End of Watch: Wednesday, May 14, 1969
Age: 32
Tour of Duty: 7 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Automobile crash
Date of Incident: May 14, 1969
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Sergeant Rutledge and Investigator William Carter were killed in an automobile crash while returning to Indio from Blythe.
The patrol unit they were in veered off U.S. 10 on Chiriaco Summit and struck the back of a truck. Sergeant Rutledge was killed instantly and Investigator Carter succumbed to his injuries six days later.
Sergeant Carter had been with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department for seven years. He was survived by his wife, three children, parents, and brother.