California Highway Patrol, California
End of Watch: Wednesday, September 25, 1946
Age: 29
Tour of Duty: 1 year, 11 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Motorcycle crash
Date of Incident: September 25, 1946
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Officer Richard Simpson was killed in a motorcycle accident at the intersection of Main and Doris Streets in Porterville at 2:30 pm.
Officer Simpson was en route to serve a warrant when he was notified of a severe accident nearby. As he traveled north on Main Street to the scene with his lights and sirens on, he was struck by a vehicle turning east. He succumbed to his injuries before arriving at the hospital.
Officer Simpson was a United States WWII veteran who had just returned to the California Highway Patrol, serving for almost two years. He was survived by his wife, a daughter, two sons, parents, and a sister.