Cowley County Sheriff's Office, Kansas
End of Watch: Friday, January 17, 1964
Age: 40
Tour of Duty: 9 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Automobile crash
Date of Incident: January 17, 1964
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Deputy Sheriff Bobbie Vest was killed in a single automobile crash while on patrol near Arkansas City.
Deputy Vest was on a regular road patrol accompanied by his son. He was about nine miles east of Arkansas City, headed towards Dexter on U.S. Route 166 around 8:45 p.m., when he lost control of the patrol car. It went into the ditch and traveled about 200 feet before it turned over and stopped on its roof. Both men were brought to Memorial Hospital in Arkansas City. Deputy Vest died before morning, and his son recovered.
Deputy Vest was a United States Army Air Forces WWII veteran and had served with the Cowley County Sheriff's Office for nine months. He was survived by his wife and children.