Trooper John N. Greim -- Badge #148
On the morning of July 13, 1945, a trooper attempted a traffic stop, which became a pursuit. Officers in the area converged in an attempt to stop the vehicle. The result: A blue Mercury sedan traveled onto gravel roads from Campbell, Missouri, into Arkansas.
Tpr. Greim suggested he obtain a plane to assist with the pursuit and manhunt. He contacted Mr. Claude Hays, a car dealer in Campbell, and owner of two planes, and
shortly after, Mr. Hays and Tpr. Greim were airborne over the area. The pursued Mercury was located abandoned a short time later. Trooper E.A. Bradley, who was assisting in the search, saw the plane carrying Mr. Hays and Tpr. Greim pass low overhead as if Tpr. Greim was trying to drop a note from the plane. After passing Tpr. Bradley, the plane continued down the route of the highway, made a short turn, and dived into the ground. The crash killed Claude Hays instantly. Tpr. Greim was removed from the mangled plane and transported to the hospital in Corning, Arkansas, by a local citizen, Mr. Doyle VanGilder, in his pickup truck. Tpr. Greim was pronounced dead at the Corning Hospital shortly after his arrival despite the valiant effort by Dr. J.R. Schirmer to save his life. The vehicle the officers had pursued was later determined to be stolen.
Trooper John N. Greim, 32, was the sixth trooper killed in the line of duty. He was survived by his wife and one child.