Officer William C. Foote, 33, was returning from a special traffic control assignment at the Salinas Rodeo when his motorcycle crashed head-on into another vehicle. Officers traveling with Foote believed a tire blow-out or a crack in the pavement caused the patrolman to lose control and swerve into the path of the oncoming car.
Officer Foote, who was born in Aberdeen, Idaho, spent his youth in White Bear Lake, Minnesota where he attended grammar school and high school.
He enlisted in the Marine Corps in August 1941, and participated in the Soloman Islands campaign and later in the assault on Iwo Jima, where he was awarded the Silver Star for valor in action and the Purple Heart for wounds received during the invasion. Patrolman Foote was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the field and was discharged from service in 1945.
He was recalled to active duty with the Bakersfield Marine Reserve Unit in August, 1950, to serve for a year in Korea. During this tour of duty, he was awarded the Bronze Star.
He joined the CHP in 1948.
Officer Foote left behind a wife, Audrey Agnes, and a daughter, Dianne Mary.