Indiana State Police, Indiana
End of Watch: Saturday, January 15, 2000
Age: 24
Tour of Duty: 1 year, 1 month
Badge Number: 710
Cause of Death: Struck by vehicle
Date of Incident: January 12, 2000
Weapon Used: Automobile
Suspect Info: No charges filed
Trooper Jason Beal died three days after being struck by a vehicle while assisting a tow truck driver who was removing a vehicle from a ditch on State Road 14 in Kosciusko County.
The incident occurred when another vehicle entered the area and attempted to slow down, but the driver lost control of the vehicle in the icy conditions. The vehicle struck the tow truck and then Trooper Beal, causing severe internal injuries. He was transported to a local hospital, where he remained for three days and passed away shortly after being taken off life support, one day before his 25th birthday.
Trooper Beal had served with the Indiana State Police for 13 months and was assigned to the Bremen post. He had previously served as a jailer for the Shelby County Sheriff's Department and as a reserve police officer for the Shelbyville Police Department. Trooper Beal was survived by his wife and a son who was born five months after his death, his parents, two brothers, three sisters, and three nephews.
In 2010, a section of State Road 14 in southeastern Kosciusko County was dedicated as the Jason E. Beal Memorial Highway in his honor.
Trooper Beal was the third of three troopers in 10 months to be killed in the line of duty from the 56th ISP Recruit Academy, which graduated in December 1998.