Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, Arizona
End of Watch: Monday, June 12, 1972
Age: 31
Tour of Duty: 6 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Automobile crash
Date of Incident: June 11, 1972
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Deputy Ralph Butler was killed when his patrol car was struck by a tractor-trailer on U.S. 60 about 12 miles west of Wickenburg.
Deputy Butler received a radio call for assistance at the scene of a fatal crash. After turning his car around off the pavement, he pulled back on the road directly in the path of a large tractor-trailer. The impact caused him to become pinned in the wreckage. It took more than 1-1/2 hours for an ambulance to respond from Phoenix because the local emergency vehicles were at the scene of the original crash 25 miles away.
Deputy Butler was transported to a hospital in Wickenburg before being flown to Phoenix for surgery. He succumbed to his injuries the following evening.
Deputy Butler had served with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office for six years. He was survived by his wife and two children. His father served as a police officer for the Wickenburg Police Department.