Officer Ronald Gene Roberts

Officer Ronald G. Roberts died from injuries received on May 1, 1972, when he was struck by an Omaha police cruiser. Roberts had been on foot directing traffic at 35th Street and West Broadway because of malfunctioning traffic signals when an Omaha Police officer pursued the driver of a car into Council Bluffs from Interstate 480. The Omaha cruiser skidded while trying to turn the corner at 35th Street and struck Roberts.

Roberts was hospitalized in critical condition and drifted in and out of a coma for months.  Roberts remained in the hospital from the time of the incident until his death.  Roberts succumbed to his injuries 29 months after the collision.

Community support for Roberts was overwhelming, including fundraisers by Pizza Hut and State Bank and Trust Co.