Senator Dan Brown’s Legislative Column

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Remembering a Fallen Hero

This week, the Senate gave approval to Senate Bill 852, and sent the bill to the House for consideration.

The bill designates a bridge crossing Highway 32 over the Meramec River in Dent County as the “Trooper Gary Snodgrass Memorial Bridge.” Trooper Snodgrass was killed in the line of duty on Feb. 21, 1970, as his patrol car crashed while rounding a curve on Highway 32, seven miles east of Salem. His death was a tragic loss to his wife, Ellen and young son, Anthony, as well as to the Patrol and the citizens of Missouri.

Trooper Snodgrass was only 24 at the time of his death, and was only the ninth officer killed in the line of duty since 1931. The Missouri Highway Patrol, as well as the State Trooper’s Association, brought this to our attention recently and asked if Trooper Snodgrass could be honored in this way. I was happy to introduce the legislation to remember this fallen member of the Highway Patrol.

As always, I encourage my constituents to contact me throughout the year with comments, questions or suggestions by calling my office at (573) 751-5713. To find more information about the bills I sponsor, visit www.senate.mo.gov/brown. Thank you for reading this and for your participation in state government.