On April 20th, 1952, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputy Bobby J. Thatcher was working a security detail when he suffered critical injuries from being struck by a vehicle.

That day, he had been assigned to crowd control at a local speedway. During an early race one of the drivers lost control of his car—which had careened off a retaining wall and gone airborne—before coming down and heading straight toward the bleachers. Seeing it was bearing down on his section, Deputy Thatcher started pulling spectators out of harm’s way. But that’s when the racecar came crashing into the bleachers and struck him head-on.

Bobby died of his injuries at the scene. A woman he had tried to save was also killed in the incident.

Deputy Thatcher was 21 years old at the time of his death, and had served with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office for just five days. He was survived by his mother, father, and brother.

Bobby was a U.S. Army veteran.