On This Date (August 27) 1963-Patrolman Ray Allan Underwood
On this date (August 27) 1963 a wife lost a husband, his son and daughter lost a father, his mother and father lost a son, his brother lost a brother, our nation lost an Air Force Veteran and Dallas lost a Police Officer.
Patrolman Ray Allan Underwood, age 26, Badge Number 1563 died as a result of injuries sustained in an motor vehicle accident three and one half hours after arriving at Methodist Hospital where he was transported.
Patrolman Underwood was the driver of an unmarked Dallas Police vehicle which was northbound on North Zang Boulevard en route to assist in the apprehension of a suspect fleeing in a vehicle which was being pursued into the Oak Cliff area on the Houston Street Via Duct.
The police vehicle was also occupied by Patrolman L.B. Kirkpatrick. The police vehicle was utilizing red lights and siren.
As the police vehicle entered the intersection with West Davis Street it collided front to the right side of a Dallas Fire Department Aerial Ladder Truck which was eastbound on West Davis Street en route to a fire alarm, a pull box at North Denver Street and East Sixth Street.
Upon impact, four fire fighters were ejected from the fire apparatus at which time the police vehicle overturned on top of two of these firefighters, Captain W.J. Jones and Second Driver J.H. Jones (not related). They were killed instantly. The two other fire fighters received serious injuries.
Patrolman Underwood and Kirkpatrick were transported to Methodist Hospital. Patrolman Kirkpatrick
was declared to be in very critical condition, but did recover, as did the two seriously injured firefighters, W.A. Massie and W.B. Strickland. As stated before, Patrolman Underwood died as a result of his injuries later this date.
Firefighters arriving at the location of the fire alarm found it to be a false alarm. The person responsible for activating the alarm was never identified.
Patrolman Ray Allan Underwood is interred at the Wieland Cemetery, Wieland, Texas.