Madera County Sheriff’s Department Matron Lucille Helm, 44, and Sgt. George Harvey Terry, 53, were killed in a traffic accident on July 13, 1959.

Deputies Oscar Lloyd De Vaney, Terry and Helm were southbound on Highway 99, just north of the Madera-Merced County line, and were returning from Modesto where they had delivered a female mental patient. Helm had accompanied the deputies to assist in caring for the patient. A male prisoner, Joe Robinson, 32, who was being returned to Madera, was riding in the back seat with De Vaney while Terry, the driver, and Helm were in the front seat.

The accident occurred when a 78-year-old man, Thomas Alford Henry, had a heart attack while driving his car northbound, crossed the divider strip between the north and southbound traffic lanes and smashed head-on into the Sheriff’s Department car. The divider strip had no barrier other than bushes that also blocked the view of drivers on one side of the highway from vehicles going the other direction.

Both vehicles were demolished. Terry, Helm and Henry were killed instantly while DeVaney was critically injured. Robinson suffered minor injuries.

Helm was born Marie Lucille Simmons on July 24, 1914, in Tulare, California to H.C. and Gladys Simmons. She was raised in Tulare where she attended the public schools and graduated from Tulare High School in 1932.

She was a housewife who worked as an extra help or relief employee who remained on call for the Sheriff’s Department. On several occasions she was recruited to help transport female prisoners for the Department and, when doing so, was always sworn in as a deputy sheriff. She was sworn in on July 13, 1959, for the mission that resulted in her death. The Madera newspaper indicated that she was a 15-year veteran indicating that she had worked as a relief worker for the Sheriff’s Department for 15 years at the time of her death.

Helm was survived by her husband, Madera County Identification Officer William O. Helm, 45, and four children, Roger, 22, Margo, 18, Claudia, 10, and Paul 7, all of Madera; a grandson, Mark Helm, 1; father, H.C. Simmons; and two brothers, Kenneth and Howard.

Funeral services for Helm were held at her home church, the First Church of God in Madera. Rev. Howard Kernutt officiated at the service that was private.

Burial followed at Arbor Vitae Cemetery in Madera. Deputy Terry was buried in the same cemetery later that day.

Officer Herbert F. Dimon was pursuing a speeding car in East Los Angeles when his motorcycle collided at an intersection with a motorist who ignored or did not see the red light or hear the siren. Dimon was wearing a safety helmet, but the impact, and the indequate protection from the helmets worn in 1959, caused a basal skull fracture. The 28-year-old officer later died during surgery to repair his injuries.

As a result of his accident, recommendations into redesigning the crash helmet began. Those recommendations included considering designing the crash helmet with shock absorbing padding and extending the full length of the plastic shell to give protection further down on the rear of the head.

Officer Dimon had graduated from the Academy just four months earlier. Only hours before his death, he had received a letter from a citizen he cited a few days earlier, stating:

“I have received citations before, but none of which reflected so adversely on my driving habits or ability. I assumed that I was pretty good driver. Your genuine concern for my safety and the safety of others on the freeway, and your remark you hoped you could help me improve my driving habits, started me doing some very serious thinking.” The citizen further declared that he had established some driving rules for himself and conforming to them had been a wonderful experience.” He concluded by saying, “I feel you will be pleased to know that your work is not all in vain.”

Officer Robert B. Heberlie was patrolling on Rosemead Boulevard when a vehicle suddenly turned left, striking Herberlie’s motorcycle broadside. killing the 31-year-old patrol officer. The motorist was charged with felony drunk driving and manslaughter. Heberlie had joined the CHP only seven months earlier after leaving the Los Angeles Police Department. The El Monte Area office was his first CHP assignment.

Officer Joseph F Johnston, Jr. was pursuing a traffic violator on Rosemead Boulevard when the suspect suddenly crossed two lanes of traffic without signaling and turned left in front of the patrolman. Johnston struck the left front side of the vehicle and he died a short time later. The motorist was charged with manslaughter. Officer Johnston, 31, had just been appointed to the Patrol the previous March and the El Monte Area was his first assignment.