Photo Courtesy: KSP Post 1
Kentucky State Police Post 1 held memorial services at two locations in Graves County Wednesday as part of National Police Officer Memorial Week. As part of the day of remembrance, a release says Post 1 troopers gathered to place a wreath at the memorial outside of Post 1 in Graves County, which contains the names of two troopers, Eric Chrisman and Cameron Ponder, who died in the line of duty in the Post 1 area.
23-year old Trooper Chrisman was fatally injured on June 23, 2015 in a vehicle crash while en route to a reckless driving complaint on US 62 in Livingston County. State police indicate his death came only six months into his career as a trooper.
31-year old Trooper Ponder was fatally shot on September 13, 2015 while conducting a traffic stop on Interstate 24 in Lyon County. His death came only nine months into his career as a state trooper.
The release says KSP Post 1 troopers then traveled to Mayfield Memory Gardens to place a wreath at the gravesite of 37-year old Trooper James McNeely, who drowned April 8, 1972 while on a flood mission in Franklin County. His death came one day after his sixteenth anniversary of joining Kentucky State Police. Trooper McNeely and KSP Water Patrol Officer David Childs died when the boat in which they were riding was swept over the dam at Lock 4 in Frankfort. Trooper Neely’s body was never found.
In honor of the three fallen troopers, each have memorial highway’s designated to recognize their service and sacrifice. Kentucky 326 in Anderson County has been designated the “Trooper Eric K. Chrisman Memorial Highway”. Interstate 24 in Lyon County, from the Caldwell County lien to its intersection with Kentucky Route 293, designated as the “Trooper Joseph Cameron Ponder Memorial Highway”. And, a five mile stretch of Kentucky 339 in Graves County has been designated the “Trooper James W. McNeely Memorial Highway”.
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